Kremlin places Wagner operatives on tankers for espionage in EU waters, intelligence says

The Russian Federation is recruiting people with military backgrounds to its “shadow fleet” who spy on EU waters, monitor captains’ actions, and may be involved in sabotage.

According to Ukrainian intelligence, in recent months, “additional crew members” with Russian passports have been recruited for some of the “shadow” tankers before they set sail. CNN reports.

Western intelligence agencies link these individuals to Moran Security, a private security company that the US Treasury Department added to sanctions in 2024 for providing “armed security services” to Russian state-owned companies. Some of those recruited are mercenaries with experience in Russian PMCs, including Wagner.

According to Ukrainian and Western intelligence, Moran’s people are often the only Russians aboard “shadow” tankers and are responsible for ensuring that “contractors operate in the interests of the Kremlin.”

One CNN source claims that Moran representatives were taking photos of European military facilities on board the “shadow” vessel. Danish pilots report cases when Russians in uniform appeared on tankers and actually “steered the ship,” demonstrating hostility towards inspectors.

The Swedish Coast Guard confirms that some of these vessels were manned by men who “did not look like merchant marine crew,” and Swedish Navy Commander Eva Skoog Haslum last year pointed to “antennas and masts that are not typical of merchant ships” on Russian-linked tankers.

CNN reconstructed one of the episodes using satellite imagery, tracking data, and Ukrainian and Western intelligence materials. The sanctioned tanker Boracay, which has repeatedly changed its name and registration, entered the port of Primorsk (Baltic) on September 20. Two Russians boarded the ship, listed as “technicians” on the ship’s manifest, and were the only Russian citizens on board.

Two days later, when unidentified drones were spotted flying over Denmark near airports and military bases, the Boracay passed along the Danish coast. Police were investigating whether the drones could have been launched from ships in the area, but did not name any specific names.

Later, French military officers boarded a tanker off the coast of Brittany, which failed to provide proof of nationality. The Chinese captain was arrested and charged with “failure to follow instructions,” and two Russian crew members were identified and questioned. No drones were found on board. The Boracay then reached the Indian port of Vadinar and unloaded Russian oil on November 1 (Kpler data).

Moran Security Group was founded in 2009, and its president is former FSB lieutenant colonel Vyacheslav Kalashnikov. Among its managers are former commanders of nuclear submarines. Former Moran directors Yevgeny Sidorov and Vadim Gusev founded Slavonic Corps in 2013, from which Wagner grew. Moran is publicly looking for “active or retired officers of special forces (GRU, PVO, naval special forces)”. Earlier on its website, the company listed the state shipping holding Sovcomflot among its clients. Moran’s legal structures are currently registered in Moscow and Belize.

Also, the day before, USM wrote that spy software was found on a ferry in France. One of the sailors who helped the criminals confirmed the involvement of a “foreign state.”