Russian spy ships spotted operating in North Sea, near UK - report

A clandestine Russian spy fleet is reportedly operating in Scandinavian waters, mapping different offshore wind farms, gas pipelines and power and communication infrastructure throughout the North Sea as far as Scotland, according to a joint investigation by Scandinavian broadcasters.

Sources cited by the broadcasters claim the fleet of "ghost ships" includes both military and civilian ships and that the mission has the goal planning acts of sabotage against the Nordic nations.

All these findings were detailed in the documentary series The Shadow War made by Danish broadcaster DR, Norwegian broadcaster NRK, Swedish broadcaster SVT and Finnish broadcaster Yle.

According to their report, the broadcasters managed to catch Russian naval communications. Using this, they were able to learn a lot about this spy fleet. One of the ships in the fleet is the Russian naval vessel the Admiral Vladimirsky, which officially does marine research. However, according to DR, it is also used for intelligence operations.

This report has been corroborated by other outlets. According to the Guardian, a former Royal Navy expert tracked the Admiral Vladimirskiy's route, which took it close to windfarms near the UK and the Netherlands.

Back in November, the UK Defence Journal had reported that the same ship was spotted near Scotland near a base for maritime partol aircraft.

Russian naval activities in the North Sea, the Russia-Ukraine War and tensions with NATO

The report on the Russian spy ships comes after several ongoing tensions between Russia and the West, particularly the Nordic countries. 

Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the two traditionally neutral Nordic states of Finland and Sweden both vocalized their intention of joining NATO, something Russia expressed displeasure at.

While Sweden's application is still pending, Finland officially joined the Western military alliance just weeks ago. 

Both Finland and Sweden are located geographically very close to Russia, with Finland in particular sharing a 1,340 kilometer border and Finland being very close to one of Russia's most important cities, St. Petersburg.

Finland's joining of NATO also means that with the sole exception of Sweden, all of the Nordic nations are now part of the Western military alliance, with Norway and Denmark having been founding members. 

The Russian spy fleet's activities also come following the apparent sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines, located in the nearby Baltic Sea. Exactly who is responsible for doing and why this remains a matter of fierce debate.