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Russia under "shadow fleet" in Europe! CNN: Military and security agents suspected of spying on tankers
2025-12-18 20:09:21 / BOTA
Russians with ties to the country's military and security services are suspected of engaging in espionage activities in European waters while secretly working on ships transporting Russian oil, according to information provided to CNN by Western and Ukrainian intelligence sources.
Since its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Moscow has created a so-called "shadow fleet" of hundreds of tankers. These ships transport Russian oil from ports in the Baltic and Black Seas, despite Western sanctions, bringing the Kremlin hundreds of millions of dollars each year.
According to the report, Ukrainian services have noticed that some of these ships, which are often registered in third countries, are adding "extra" crew members shortly before departure. CNN reports that it saw two crew lists, in which most of the members were not of Russian nationality, but at the bottom of the list were two Russian names with Russian passport details.
The US media notes that the addition of Russians with security experience to the crews is causing concern in European capitals, as a sign that the Kremlin's methods are becoming more direct. Citing multiple sources of information, the network reports that some of these men are suspected of being employed by Moran Security, a private security company. Some of them are mercenaries, according to the sources, who have worked in the past for Russian private military companies, such as the notorious Wagner Group.
CNN reports that Moran was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury Department in 2024 for providing “armed security services” to Russian state-owned enterprises. The same sources say that Moran’s personnel are stationed on several tankers in the “shadow” armada and, according to Ukrainian and Western estimates, are often the only Russians on board. Oleksandr Stahnevich, of Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Service, is quoted as saying that their roles include monitoring the captains, as many of them are not Russian citizens.
The US media notes that the addition of Russians with security experience to the crews is causing concern in European capitals, as a sign that the Kremlin’s methods are becoming more direct. Citing multiple intelligence sources, the network reports that some of these men are suspected of being employed by Moran Security, a private security company. Some of them are mercenaries, according to the sources, who previously worked for Russian private military companies, such as the notorious Wagner Group.
CNN raporton se Moran u sanksionua nga Departamenti i Thesarit i SHBA-së në vitin 2024 për ofrimin e "shërbimeve të armatosura të sigurisë" për ndërmarrjet shtetërore ruse. Të njëjtat burime pohojnë se personeli i Moran është vendosur në disa cisterna të flotës në hije ruse. Një burim perëndimor i inteligjencës shtoi se, në një rast, personeli i Moran bëri fotografi të instalimeve ushtarake evropiane nga një prej anijeve të flotës në hije.
Burimi nuk dha detaje të mëtejshme. Rusët në bord janë gjithashtu të ngarkuar me monitorimin e kapitenëve të anijeve, shumica e të cilëve nuk janë shtetas rusë, sipas Oleksandr Stahnevich të Shërbimit të Inteligjencës së Jashtme të Ukrainës.
Në të njëjtin kontekst, një burim i inteligjencës perëndimore i cituar nga CNN pohon se "në rastin e Moran, ata nuk janë të përfshirë në një konflikt të drejtpërdrejtë. Ata po sigurohen që kontraktorët e tyre të veprojnë në përputhje me interesat e Kremlinit". Prania dhe aktivitetet e rusëve në këto anije janë shqetësuese në rritje për shërbimet evropiane të sigurisë, duke pasur parasysh numrin e anijeve të flotës në hije që lundrojnë pranë brigjeve të kontinentit dhe mundësinë e spiunazhit.
Rrjeti raporton se prania e grupeve të armatosura me prejardhje ushtarake në anije të tilla është pjesë e teknikave të "luftës hibride" që synojnë krijimin e trazirave në Evropë.
Raporti përqendrohet në anijen cisternë Boracay, e cila përshkruhet si nën sanksione dhe si e tillë që ka ndryshuar emrin dhe regjistrin e saj disa herë gjatë tre viteve të fundit.
CNN raporton se më 20 shtator, dy rusë hipën në anijen Boracay në portin e Primorsk, pranë Shën Petersburgut, dhe se imazhet satelitore dhe të dhënat e gjurmimit të anijes konfirmuan praninë e anijes në port në atë datë. Sipas të njëjtit raport, të dy burrat u listuan si "teknikë" dhe ishin të vetmit rusë në bord, me pjesën tjetër të ekuipazhit të përbërë nga qytetarë të Kinës, Myanmarit dhe Bangladeshit.
CNN raporton se shërbimet ukrainase i identifikuan të dy burrat dhe se konfirmuan emrat e tyre përmes burimeve perëndimore. Njëri prej të dyve është një ish-oficer policie që më parë ka punuar për Wagner, sipas një burimi të inteligjencës perëndimore. Asnjëri prej tyre nuk ka një profil të madh në internet dhe aktivitetet e tyre në Boracay janë të paqarta.
Diku tjetër, raporti thotë se, gjatë kalimit të anijeve të tilla nëpër Baltik, navigatorët danezë që hipin në anije cisterna për t'i udhëhequr ato nëpër ngushticë shpesh raportojnë praninë e rusëve që "duket se janë në kontroll" dhe janë armiqësorë ndaj inspektorëve.
Ai gjithashtu i referohet një email-i, i cili - sipas CNN - u dërgua nga shërbimi danez i navigimit DanPilot autoriteteve përkatëse, duke përshkruar se ka gjithnjë e më shumë raportime për anije me anëtarë "shtesë" të ekuipazhit, ndoshta rusë, të veshur me uniforma ushtarake dhe duke fotografuar, ndër të tjera, zonat përreth urës së anijes.
CNN also links the Boracay passage to the timing of the drone reports in Denmark. It is reported that two days after leaving Primorsk, the ship was off the Danish coast when incidents were recorded that affected traffic at Copenhagen airport, while drones were reported near military bases. The network notes that Danish police were investigating at the time whether ships in the area had launched drones, without naming specific ships, and cites a Western source as saying that the coincidence could be considered "suspicious."
Then, in the days following the incidents, French armed forces boarded the ship in Boracay near Brittany after the ship failed to provide proof of its nationality. According to the report, no drones were found on board, but the presence of two Russians on board was later determined, who - according to Western security sources - were questioned.
It is also reported that the Chinese captain was arrested and charged by French authorities with "disobedience to orders", while prosecutors were investigating the lack of documentation on the nationality and flag of the ship, which stated that it had been sailing under the Benin flag since September.
American media reports that they contacted Alexei Badikov, who was listed by the US Treasury Department as CEO of Moran, and that he stated that he was deputy director of the group, headquartered mainly in St. Petersburg, without commenting on the allegations of coordination with Russian services.
Asked if he could confirm that the two men in Boracay were working for Moran, he said he was unable to confirm it and, when asked, said he "had no idea."
Regarding the possibility of launching drones from tankers, CNN reports that he called it "completely crazy," arguing that if someone wanted to use drones, they would do it from fishing boats and not from a large tanker, because it is technically dangerous and no one would do it.
Moran's close ties with Wagner
Finally, the report provides extensive coverage of Moran, noting that it was founded in 2009 and that, according to Western sources, it had strong ties to Wagner and to Russian military and intelligence structures.
It is reported that its online material seeks active or retired officers with special forces experience, that its president is described as a retired FSB lieutenant colonel, and that its advertised fields include physical security at sea and on land, international logistics, and intelligence operations.
CNN also reports that, according to Ukrainian services, security teams joined the "shadow" army about six months before the described observations, while recording the dilemma described by the Danish side as to whether there should be tougher joint European action against ships without proper insurance and registration, given the possible Russian reaction./ CNN
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