Russian military and civilian "ghost ships" roam the Baltic and North Seas and collect data for sabotage against wind farms, gas pipelines and communication cables.
This is stated in the joint investigation of the public broadcasters of Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland.
In this way, Russia intends to create a map of Western infrastructure in the sea. For this, surface and underwater civilian and military vessels collect information within the framework of the GUGI military program.
The head of Norwegian intelligence Nils Andreas Stensones suggested that the infrastructure map was being prepared to plan diversions in the North Sea in the event of a major conflict with the West.
In particular, the Russians can cut the power and data cables across the Atlantic and to the rest of Europe.
According to the investigation, there are vessels operating in Northern European waters that have turned off their AIS transmitters and are not reporting their location. Itʼs about "Admiral Volodymyrskyi", which is officially engaged in naval research, but, according to sources, it is also used for intelligence work.
The ship moved in the vicinity of seven wind farms off the coast of Britain and the Netherlands during one mission. The ship slowed down as it approached areas where there are wind farms.
When the reporters approached the vessel in a small boat, they were confronted by a man wearing a balaclava holding a weapon that looked like a military assault rifle.
The same ship was spotted off the coast of Scotland last year entering the Moray Firth on November 10, about 30 nautical miles east of Lossiemouth, where the Royal Air Forceʼs fleet of maritime patrol aircraft is based.
- In September 2022, a decrease in pressure began to be recorded on the "Nord Streams". There were four gas leaks on the pipelines. The countries of the EU, the USA and NATO believe that the pipelines were sabotaged. Seismologists stated that they recorded underwater explosions in the leakage zones. Swedish special services found confirmation of sabotage.
- In March 2023, the American publication The New York Times, citing sources and intelligence data, wrote that the explosions on the Russian gas pipelines "Nord Stream" and "Nord Stream 2" could have been carried out by a pro-Ukrainian group of "Putinʼs opponents". It allegedly included Russians and Ukrainians. The British newspaper The Times wrote that Western intelligence agencies have long known the name of the Ukrainian who allegedly financed the sabotage of the "Nord Streams", but decided not to reveal his identity in order to protect Ukraine.