Investigation: Russia prepares sabotage at facilities in the North Sea in case of conflict with the West

Author:
Sofiia Telishevska
Date:

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.