In the waters around Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland, Russian “ghost ships” are preparing possible sabotage actions against offshore wind farms, underwater pipelines and power cables, the Scandinavian countries’ public television revealed on Wednesday.
Russian “ghost ships”
In the Shadow War investigative report, Danish broadcasters DR, Sweden’s SVT, Norway’s NRK and Finland’s YLE all claim to have intercepted radio communications from Russian ships that had turned off their AIS beacons so as not to share their location. Based on this data, 50 units were identified that could have conducted intelligence operations for Russia in the waters of the Baltic Sea and the North Sea over the past 10 years. on mapping critical infrastructure.
Ships can perform specific missions such as laying naval mines and mapping pipelines, communication cables and other key sabotage targets
Ase Gilje Ostensen, a hybrid threat expert at the Norwegian Defense Academy, assesses.
“Vladimir Admiral”
According to journalists, one of the Russian ships “sailing in a suspicious manner” is the Admiral Vladimirsky. Officially, the unit carries out scientific marine research, but according to sources it is also used for espionage activities.
As the makers of the documentary emphasize, the 147.8-meter “Admiral Wladimirski” sailed around the Danish Kattegat in November 2022 without disclosing its location. However, the ship sent messages to a naval base in Russia. Based on this, journalists located the ship between the Sjaellands Odde peninsula on Zealand and Grenaa on the Jutland peninsula.
As we approached in the fast-moving pontoon boat, several men came on deck with their faces covered, including one in uniform and wearing a body armor, armed with a Russian military rifle. We were filmed
– reports TV DR.
According to journalists, “Admirał Wladimirski” sailed for a month in the Baltic Sea, the Danish Great Belt and the Kattegat Strait, as well as the North Sea.
The ship’s route passed both through the areas of existing wind farms and through planned investments. In these places, the unit stopped for several days
– describe the creators of the document.
Preparations for a major war with NATO?
Intelligence sources and experts quoted by journalists estimate that the purpose of the “Admiral Wladimirski” mission in Danish waters was to “prepare sabotage, which could, among other things, cripple Russia’s electricity supply in Northwestern Europe.
This is what research ships do in preparation for a major war with NATO
says a Western intelligence source.
The Russian vessel likely mapped underwater power cables at offshore wind farms, says independent naval analyst HI Sutton, who analyzed Admiral Wladimirski’s voyage. This is confirmed by military analyst Jens Wenzel Kristoffersen of the University of Copenhagen. “The ship was on a mission to find out what’s new, if there have been any changes since the last time they were there, and to figure out the best way to hit the wind farms.
he decided.
According to Norwegian journalists, critical infrastructure in the Norwegian Sea and the Barents Sea is also being mapped by Russian fishing cutters and trawlers.
They appear in oil and gas fields, where military exercises take place or American submarines sail
– emphasizes NRK TV.
rm/PAP
Source: wPolityce