Russian research ships perform underwater espionage in Baltic and North Sea targeting critical infrastructure.

Russian research ships, including the Sibiryakov and Gorigledzha, are systematically conducting underwater espionage missions in the Baltic and North Seas. These ships are specialized for locating and mapping critical underwater infrastructure such as internet cables, power lines, pipelines, and wind farms. The espionage efforts, involving over 400 ship voyages and analysis of more than 1000 Russian weather Morse messages, show suspicious ship maneuvers indicative of data collection. Notably, in October 2023, the Gorigledzha was detected near a wind park off Rügen with transponders switched off, linked to a secret deep-sea research program of the Russian military. Other spying targets include submarine training areas and the Europipe gas pipeline that supplies Germany. Due to international maritime law constraints, German authorities primarily monitor and show presence without direct confrontation. Russian authorities have not responded to inquiries.