Russia is using civilian vessels to collect intelligence on military activity and critical infrastructure in the North Sea, a joint investigation by Danish, Finnish, Swedish and Norwegian public broadcasters has found.
The investigation tracked dozens of Russian research and fishing vessels whose routes regularly passed through oil and gas fields, near wind farms and power plants, as well as in the vicinity of military training areas — including during NATO training exercises.
According to Norwegian public broadcaster NRK, at least 50 civilian ships have been involved in intelligence gathering missions in Nordic waters in the past ten years.
The head of Norway’s intelligence service, Nils Andreas Stensønes, quoted by NRK, said the intelligence activities were carried out “on top of the [fishing boats’] usual commercial activity.”
The investigation by Finnish public broadcaster Yle shows how an oceanographic research vessel, “Admiral Vladimirsky,” was used to map out critical infrastructure on the bed of the North Sea.
According to experts and intelligence officials, these reconnaissance missions could be a first step toward sabotaging critical infrastructure, such as telecommunications cables or offshore wind power plants.
Contacted by the outlets to answer the allegations, Russian ambassador to Oslo Teimuraz Ramishvili said “the work of research projects [was] coordinated through diplomatic channels and [was] in accordance with international legislation.”
Russia’s war on Ukraine has led to a resurgence of fears among European countries regarding the vulnerability of their critical infrastructure.
Last September, the Nord Stream 1 and 2 gas pipelines, linking Russia to Germany through the Baltic Sea, were targeted by two blasts in what has been called an act of deliberate sabotage by Swedish and Danish authorities. Although fingers were quickly pointed at Russia for the bombing, the culprit has not yet been identified.