In the waters surrounding Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland, reports from public broadcasters suggest that Russian vessels designated as ghost ships have been observed preparing potential actions against offshore wind farms, underwater pipelines and power cables. The revelations emerged as part of a joint investigative effort by Danish DR, Sweden’s SVT, Norway’s NRK and Finland’s YLE, which claim to have intercepted radio chatter indicating ships were turning off AIS beacons to avoid sharing their positions. Based on this data, analysts identified about 50 vessels that could have conducted intelligence work for Russia in the Baltic Sea and the North Sea over the last decade, focusing on critical infrastructure and its vulnerabilities.
Russian ghost ships in focus
The Shadow War project examined the incident through multiple national broadcasts, with the cooperating outlets highlighting how ships could be involved in missions such as laying mines and surveying pipelines, communication cables and other essential targets for disruption. The reporting emphasizes that silent operations directed at critical infrastructure raise concerns about long term security in the region.
Ase Gilje Ostensen, an expert on hybrid threats at the Norwegian Defense Academy, weighed in on the assessment, stressing the potential for nontraditional warfare techniques to pose real risks to regional stability and energy security.
Admiral Vladimirsky in the spotlight
Journalists identified one vessel sailing in a suspicious manner as the Admiral Vladimirsky. Officially described as a scientific research ship, sources suggest it is also used for espionage purposes and intelligence gathering. The documentary notes that the 147.8 meter vessel traveled through the Kattegat near Denmark in November 2022 without openly disclosing its location, yet it did transmit messages to a Russian naval base. Tracers placed the ship between the Sjaellands Odde peninsula on Zealand and Grenaa on the Jutland peninsula.
During the investigative journey, crew members appeared on deck in a fast moving environment, with faces partially covered and one individual in uniform equipped with body armor and a Russian military rifle. The scene was captured by the filming team.
The report states that the Admiral Wladimirski sailed for roughly a month across the Baltic Sea, the Danish Great Belt and the Kattegat, extending into the North Sea. Its route intersected both established wind farm sites and planned investment areas, with the ship stopping for several days at various coordinates along the way.
According to the documentary makers, these movements align with a broader pattern of operations near critical energy infrastructure, suggesting the ship could be mapping underwater cables and wind farm connections as part of reconnaissance ahead of potential disruption.
Experts argue that such activities could be used to evaluate where disruptions might cause the greatest impact, including possible interruptions of electricity supply across Northwestern Europe. Western intelligence sources cited in the report emphasize that missions like this could be precursors to larger scales of conflict in the region.
Independent naval analysts have weighed in, with interpretations that the Admiral Wladimirski might be gathering updated information on changes since earlier visits and determining the best strategies to counter or target offshore energy assets. Analysts from Copenhagen University echo the view that the ship may have been assessing new conditions and looking for vulnerabilities in wind farm networks and cable layouts. The implication is that mapping and understanding these systems could inform future actions if geopolitical tensions escalate.
Norwegian journalists point to additional activity in the Norwegian and Barents seas. They suggest that Russian fishing cutters and trawlers may be involved in similar mapping efforts within critical energy zones, including regions where oil and gas fields lie and where military exercises are conducted or where Allied submarines are known to operate. The reporting underscores a broad pattern of interest in vital infrastructure across northern waters and suggests this is not an isolated incident but part of a wider intelligence gathering program.
As authorities and security analysts digest these findings, the central concern remains the potential for future sabotage against offshore energy infrastructure and communication networks. The joint investigation does not claim immediate action but highlights the importance of monitoring and protecting critical assets amid rising geopolitical strain in the region.
Readers should consider how such developments intersect with national defense strategies, energy security policies and international norms governing the protection of essential infrastructure. The episode reinforces the need for robust monitoring, rapid response capabilities and interagency collaboration to deter and respond to any attempts to compromise power supplies or underwater networks across northern European waters. The reporting continues to stimulate discussion about resilience, deterrence and the practical steps that secure systems require in a landscape of rising strategic competition.
Sources: DR, SVT, NRK and YLE coverage, and episodes highlighting vessel movements and potential reconnaissance near critical infrastructure. Citations reflect the joint investigative reporting and ongoing analyses by regional defense and security observers. [Source attribution: regional broadcasters and independent analysts cited in the investigative series].