Poland Confronts Shadow Fleet
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has revealed that a Russian "shadow fleet" vessel was caught conducting suspicious activity near an undersea power cable between Poland and Sweden. The incident, which occurred on Wednesday, prompted a swift response from the Polish military, forcing the ship to retreat toward a Russian port, CE Report quotes PAP
At a security briefing in Gdynia on Thursday, Tusk warned that such provocations could escalate, threatening vital maritime infrastructure like offshore wind farms and gas pipelines. He described the act as "direct aggression" and said the Baltic Sea risks becoming a zone of ongoing hybrid conflict.
Although no immediate danger has been detected, the Polish Navy continues to inspect the seabed for possible explosives. Tusk also announced a rapid procurement of drones to enhance surveillance above and below water.
Russia’s so-called shadow fleet—uninsured, aging tankers used to bypass sanctions—is increasingly viewed as a tool for sabotage, prompting new sanctions from the EU and UK earlier this week.
