UK Leading Operation Monitoring Russian Shadow Fleet, Defence Secretary Confirms

Secretary of State for Defence John Healey arrives in Downing Street for a Cabinet meeting in London, England, on Dec. 3, 2024. Jonathan Brady/PA Wire

The UK is leading a military operation to track threats to undersea infrastructure and monitor Russia’s “shadow fleet,” Defence Secretary John Healey has said.

Under the system code named Nordic Warden, Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) partners and NATO allies will be informed if vessels deemed a risk to underwater energy or communications cables enter key areas of interest, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on Monday.

Nordic Warden was activated last week by JEF—a high-readiness military task force comprised of Northern European nations and led by the UK—after an underwater cable in the Baltic Sea transporting power from Finland to Estonia was damaged on Christmas Day in a suspected act of sabotage by Russia.

Confirming the activation of Nordic Warden, Healey told the House of Commons on Jan. 6: “We are deeply concerned about the damage and sabotage to undersea cables.

“I can confirm to the House that for the first time the [JEF] has activated an advanced UK-led reaction system to track potential threats to undersea infrastructure and to monitor the movements of the Russian shadow fleet.”

“Shadow fleet” is a term used to describe vessels of obscure ownership said to be part of Russia’s efforts to avoid international sanctions, notably on Russian oil and oil products.

Suspicious Vessels

Healey made the statement in the Commons after Labour MP Harpreet Uppal had asked whether the UK was taking action alongside European allies, after Finnish authorities had suggested the damage to the Estlink2 power cable may have been linked to a shadow fleet vessel.

The defence secretary said later during the debate that the Finnish investigation was still ongoing, “but many analysts conclude that it is likely that the Eagle S was the cause,” referencing the Cook Islands-flagged crude oil tanker which Finnish customs officials suspect is linked to Russia.

The damage to the Estlink2 cable followed similar incidents to underwater infrastructure in the Baltic Sea, after an undersea telecommunications cable linking Lithuania and Sweden and another linking Finland and Germany was damaged in mid-November.

Damage in the three incidents are suspected to have been caused by ships intentionally dragging their anchors along the seabed.

“That reinforces the case for Operation Nordic Warden,” Healey continued, adding, “It is being run from the Northwood standing joint forces headquarters and will cover a number of areas of interest, including areas where we have British undersea cables.”

Using AI

Specific vessels identified as being part of the shadow fleet will be registered into the system, the MoD said, so they can be closely monitored it they enter areas of interest.

There are 22 areas of interest, including parts of the English Channel, North Sea, and Baltic Sea, which are currently being monitored from Northwood in Hertfordshire.

Operation Nordic Warden uses innovative technologies, including AI, to assess the risk posed by vessels by analysing data from a range of sources, including the Automatic Identification System which ships use to broadcast their position.

The Liberian-flagged oil tanker Ice Energy (L) transfers crude oil from the Russian-flagged oil tanker Lana (R) (formerly Pegas), off the shore of Karystos on the Island of Evia, Greece, on May 29, 2022. Angelos Tzortzinis/AFP

The MoD said that if there is a potential risk, the system will monitor the vessel in real time and send out a warning, shared with JEF partners and NATO allies.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: “Growth and national security are vital to our Plan for Change, which is why this government is working closely with our allies to protect critical national infrastructure, such as undersea cables.

“I am pleased we are launching this cutting-edge technology so soon after the JEF Summit to enhance European security and deliver on our Plan for Change.”

Shadow Fleet

The shadow fleet consists of tankers whose obscure ownership and insurance structure allows them to evade detection as Russian-operated entities, often sailing under “flags of convenience” from countries such as Liberia or Panama. They also are said to transmit falsified data, use false documents, and disable transponders to evade satellite detection.

Sanctions on Russian oil are intended to constrain the Kremlin’s ability to fund the Russia-Ukraine war, which has been ongoing since February 2022.

Last year, the UK sanctioned dozens of oil tankers, barring them from entering UK ports and refusing access to the UK Ship Register. Last month, the government also sanctioned companies that insured the vessels.

In December, the UK signed a agreement with Denmark, Sweden, Poland, Finland, and Estonia to require proof of insurance from suspected shadow fleet vessels as they pass through the Baltic route.

The EU has also agreed fresh sanctions against Russia, including against the shadow fleet, which included six China- and Hong Kong-based companies.