Russian civilian ships are being used for intelligence gathering and propaganda operations in support of the Kremlin, a new intelligence report says.
European security services have noted the increasingly questionable behavior of Russian civilian vessels, which the Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service said “may even be described as provocative.”
“Characteristic of the suspicious behavior of Russian civilian vessels are their attempts to enter the naval training areas of other countries, or on various pretexts, to access areas closed to ship traffic (testing areas for new military technology, surroundings of naval bases, etc.) and areas that are not normally used for navigation but pose an interest for strategic reasons,” the service said in its 2019 International Security and Estonia report.
Attempts by Russian ships to enter foreign waters while claiming to be in need of shelter from a storm or repairs are becoming more frequent, something not seen with other countries’ civilian ships.
Russian research vessels carry out their work “in a semi-covert manner and in undeclared locations” and “focus on the host country’s submarine communications networks, as well as areas of military and economic importance,” the report said. The crews of these research vessels are known to avoid contact with local researchers.
Russian civilian ships and their crews are unique in their connection to the military. All ships belonging to state agencies and Russian companies are registered as “mobilization reserve vessels” and forced to practice being converted into support ships for the navy. They are required to be ready to engage in service for the nation “at all times.” The crews must also undergo “combat training” and report information gathered on foreign ports to the navy.
Civilian ships are also being used as part of the Kremlin’s vast influence operations.
“A currently trending practice is to use the Russian state agencies’ and educational institutions’ large sailing ships, which participate in sea voyages, regattas and festivals around the world,” the report said. “Part of the voyages are political events for local Russian communities, propaganda re-enactments of selected episodes from Russian history, and missionary work by the Russian Orthodox Church involving open-air services, miraculous icons, and relics.”
As an example, the report pointed to the Mir, a training vessel belonging to the Admiral Makarov State University of Maritime and Inland Shipping. The university’s Seaborne Russian Center is run by the Russkiy Mir Foundation and “aimed at Russian compatriots living abroad.”
The Mir has been a “frequent guest at the Tallinn Maritime Days,” an annual international maritime festival held in the Estonian capital. Estonia and neighboring Baltic states have large Russian populations, which Russia has targeted with propaganda.
Estonian officials have complained of Russian misinformation attacks and propaganda for years. The small country of 1.3 million people was the victim of a massive cyberattack in 2007 that paralyzed banks, media, and government agencies. Estonia blames the attack on Russia, though direct Kremlin involvement has not been proven.
