Russia's shadow fleet: Inside the covert operations at sea
Gen. Roman Polko, in an interview with "Fakt," explained where Russia recruits members for the "shadow fleet." The military officer's words may be surprising. — There are 20 such recruitment centres in Ukraine itself — claims Gen. Polko.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk informed on Wednesday via the X platform that a Russian ship from the "shadow fleet," which is under sanctions, carried out suspicious maneuvers near the power cable connecting Poland with Sweden. The head of the government added that after the intervention of the Polish military, the ship sailed back to Russia.
Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of National Defence Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, in relation to this incident, announced a special meeting at the Maritime Operations Centre in Gdynia. Thursday's meeting will be attended by Prime Minister Donald Tusk, the Minister of National Defence, as well as representatives of the Navy and other services responsible for the country's security.
Gen. Polko on the "shadow fleet"
Gen. Roman Polko, former commander of GROM, noted in a conversation with "Fakt" that Russia conducts hybrid warfare in many areas: along the border, in cyberspace, and at sea.
It is clear that Russia is not a peaceful country. It is a country that would like to attack the West and uses criminals (including those from the West) for this purpose — emphasized Gen. Polko.
The military officer also explained that the "shadow fleet" recruits crew members mainly in Europe — "in countries that are declared enemies of Russian aggression against Ukraine." Surprisingly, according to Gen. Polko, "there are 20 such recruitment centres in Ukraine itself."
This shows how inefficient the administration is, how inefficient the services are, since they can allow this fleet, originally intended primarily for circumventing sanctions, to now transform into such forces as the little green men once were, those without any military insignia, yet conducting military actions. In any case, subversive ones — points out Gen. Polko in a conversation with "Fakt".
What is the "shadow fleet"?
The "shadow fleet" consists of outdated ships that sail under different flags but are used by Russia to bypass Western sanctions. These vessels sell Russian oil at prices exceeding the established cap. They are usually uninsured, which means there is no accountability in the event of an environmental disaster.
