{"id":40624,"date":"2025-08-02T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-08-02T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/danwatch.dk\/pilot-warns-dark-fleet-spies-in-denmark\/"},"modified":"2025-08-07T14:42:40","modified_gmt":"2025-08-07T12:42:40","slug":"pilot-warns-dark-fleet-spies-in-denmark","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/danwatch.dk\/en\/pilot-warns-dark-fleet-spies-in-denmark\/","title":{"rendered":"Pilot Warns: Shadow Fleet Spies in Denmark"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Russian shadow fleet not only earns billions of kroner for Putin’s war machine by transporting sanctioned oil around the world.<\/p>\n\n

It is also actively participating in spying on critical infrastructure in Denmark. This is revealed in the internal correspondence from the state-owned pilotage company DanPilot, which Danwatch has obtained. <\/p>\n\n

In a group email from earlier in July with the heading \u201cMilitant types on the bridge\u201d, it states:<\/p>\n\n

“There are increasingly more reports of ships that have a couple of extra crew members, who are presumably Russian, who are wearing military uniforms on the bridge and very active in photographing bridge passages, among other things. <\/p>\n\n

\u201cAll these reports are of course forwarded to the authorities,\u201d the email states.<\/p>\n\n

The warning comes after an incident a few days earlier where a picture was taken of a man in uniform, filming from a sanctioned ship from the shadow fleet.<\/p>\n\n

Security Policy Advisor, Jakob Kaarsbo, who has a background as chief analyst in <\/p>\n\n

the Danish Defence Intelligence Service, is not surprised by Russia’s new initiative. <\/p>\n\n

“It seems as if Russia has begun to use the shadow fleet as a form of hybrid deployment, and the fact that they are especially active when sailing past Danish strategic installations and critical infrastructure is unfortunately not surprising.”<\/p>\n\n

“It is well-documented how Russia previously used so-called research vessels for military purposes to map underwater infrastructure,” he says.<\/p>\n\n

Sabotage Actions <\/h2>\n\n

According to analyses from i.a. Lloyd’s List Intelligence, the Russian shadow fleet consists of over 700 tankers, of which 444 are currently sanctioned<\/a> by the EU. They pass through Denmark and the Great Belt almost daily because it is the only way out when they come from the large Russian oil ports around St. Petersburg. <\/p>\n\n

Naval Captain and Military Analyst, Jens Wenzel Kristoffersen, does not see this as a threat in itself that pictures of critical infrastructure are being taken from ships in the shadow fleet. <\/p>\n\n

\u201cThese are probably already extensively photographed. Instead, it could be about keeping the Russian Intelligence Service updated on any changes to the critical infrastructure by photographing these during passage, so that they always possess the latest information regarding potential sabotage actions, which must be anticipated as already planned,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n

Danwatch presented the material to the Ministry of Security and Preparedness, which refers to the Danish Emergency Management Agency. The agency refers to the fact that pilots, according to the Danish Pilotage Act, must report to the relevant authority as regards conditions observed, which are significant for navigation safety, environment or other societal considerations. <\/p>\n\n

\u201cThus, DanPilot, like other pilotage services, must report all relevant conditions to the Danish Emergency Management Agency. Beyond this, the Danish Emergency Management Agency cannot comment further on DanPilot’s observations,\u201d writes the Danish Emergency Management Agency.<\/p>\n\n

Requires Action <\/h2>\n\n

Additionally, Danwatch asked the Danish Emergency Management Agency if Denmark will react to these observations:<\/p>\n\n

\u201cNationally, there are ongoing cooperations across relevant authorities on coordinating measures against the shadow fleet. In addition, the authorities continue to enhance the maritime situation around Danish waters.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

\u201cInternationally, Danish authorities also collaborate on the challenge with other countries in relevant regional and international forums, just as the Danish Emergency Management Agency is in continuous dialogue with our partners. Additionally, Denmark acquired a group of the most affected regional countries, which meet regularly at the expert level to exchange information and work for further international measures against the shadow fleet,\u201d continues the response from the Danish Emergency Management Agency.<\/p>\n\n

Jakob Kaarsbo, however, doesn’t think much of this lack of action behind the international initiatives.<\/p>\n\n

“Russia exploits our respect for international treaties to potentially undermine our security. And we need to dare to act and look at how we specifically can stop these acts. <\/p>\n\n

\u201cWhen we fail to put a stop to things, Russia pushes the boundaries further. We see this now with the blatant espionage from the shadow fleet. Russia is not afraid of reprisals because they perceive us as being weak, who don’t dare to do anything anyway,\u201d he adds.<\/p>\n\n

Difficult to Stop<\/h2>\n\n

There have not yet been examples in Denmark of ships from the shadow fleet being stopped, and Jens Wenzel Kristoffersen points out that it can be difficult to stop them:<\/p>\n\n

\u201cBeing able to do something about it from the authorities’ side in the region requires a joint effort and approach from all the countries around the Baltic Sea. Also, there needs to be agreements on which measures to implement.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

\u201cIf ships comply with all navigation requirements, including taking a pilot on board and merely making innocent passage, there is not much to do. It is only if there is suspicion of law violations or drug smuggling that the ship is not considered seaworthy, etc., and that there is legal authority to do something\u201d, he says.<\/p>\n\n

Among other things, the EU’s current sanctions against 444 ships from the shadow fleet include that they do not have access to ports in Denmark and the rest of the EU, just as they may not receive any services.<\/p>\n\n

Danwatch has previously written about how a sanctioned and stateless ship from the shadow fleet with 100,000 tons of oil on board deceived the Danish authorities. You can read about this here.<\/a> <\/em><\/p>\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

An internal email from the state-owned pilotage company DanPilot shows that there have been several incidents in Denmark when uniformed personnel on the Russian shadow fleet have been spying on critical infrastructure.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":40597,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_gspb_post_css":"","_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","ghostkit_customizer_options":"","ghostkit_custom_css":"","ghostkit_custom_js_head":"","ghostkit_custom_js_foot":"","ghostkit_typography":"","slim_seo":{"title":"Pilot Warns: Shadow Fleet Spies in Denmark","description":"An internal email from the state-owned pilotage company DanPilot shows that there have been several incidents in Denmark when uniformed personnel on the 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