Information from the investigation shows that Russia has created a program to carry out sabotages in the North Sea and damage wind farms and communication cables, writes the BBC.
The information was published by the media of Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland, which conducted a joint investigation. Russia is said to have created a special flotilla disguised as fishing and research vessels. These vessels carry underwater surveillance equipment and search for potential sabotage sites. The BBC understands that British officials are aware of the movement of Russian ships in the waters around Britain.
A Danish counter-intelligence officer has stated that
sabotage plans are being made in the event of a full-scale conflict with Western countries,
while the head of Norway’s intelligence service told the media that the sabotage program is considered particularly important in Russia.
Scandinavian media have analyzed intercepted Russian reports of so-called ghost ships in the waters of the North Sea moving with their transmitters turned off. The report focuses on the Russian ship Admiral Vladimirsky. It is officially registered as an oceanographic research vessel that conducts underwater research.
Admiral Vladimirsky moved for a month with transmitters turned off. When the journalist tried to approach the ship in a small boat,
he was stopped by a masked person armed with what looked like a military weapon.
This same ship was reportedly seen off the coast of Scotland last year. The ship was observed to have entered the Moray Firth on the tenth of November and also approached the army base to a distance of approximately 30 nautical miles (55 kilometers) before heading west.
Reconnaissance around important locations is not unusual, and it is likely that the West will take similar actions in the direction of Russia. The purpose of intelligence is to prepare various plans of action in case the conflict escalates.
The report suggests that the Russian vessels could be linked to last year’s incident south of Svalbard when an underwater data transmission cable was severed.
On the 13th of April, Norway expelled 15 Russian diplomats who were accused of espionage.
The most significant and widely publicized sabotage was the explosion of the Nord Stream gas pipeline in September. Russia was initially blamed, but later information emerged about saboteurs allegedly linked to Ukraine. The case is still under investigation.
Read also: Russia monitors energy infrastructure in the North Sea