Security expert Moritz Brake explains in an interview that the Russian shadow fleet, consisting of dilapidated tankers with unclear ownership and frequently changing flags, is not only used for sanction evasion but also as part of a hybrid war strategy against the West. Recent incidents in the Baltic Sea, including suspected sabotage of critical underwater cables, demonstrate how these ships are increasingly being used as "asymmetric weapons" to achieve geopolitical objectives. Brake calls for enhanced cooperation between Baltic Sea states and NATO to counter this threat. He emphasizes that effective action can only be taken through legal clarity and swift responses, such as imposing passage bans on suspicious vessels.
Moritz Brake: Russia's Shadow Fleet as an "Asymmetric Weapon" in Hybrid Warfare Moritz Brake: Russia's Shadow Fleet as an "Asymmetric Weapon" in Hybrid Warfare
The Russian shadow fleet is playing an increasingly significant role in Russia's hybrid warfare against the West, as recent incidents in the Baltic Sea demonstrate. Security expert Moritz Brake warns that these ships, also used for sanction evasion and espionage, pose a growing threat to the security and infrastructure in the region.
Moritz Brake: Russlands Schattenflotte als "asymmetrische Waffe" im hybriden Krieg
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Links
- https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/mecklenburg-vorpommern/Schattenflotte-Asymmetrische-Waffe-in-Putins-hybridem-Krieg,schattenflotte104.html
- https://www.cassis.uni-bonn.de/en/about-us/all-employees/dr-moritz-brake
- https://www.cassis.uni-bonn.de/en/media-contributions/copy_of_brake-russland-bedrohung-maritime-sicherheit
- https://www.cassis.uni-bonn.de/en/media-contributions/copy_of_prof-dr-ulrich-schlie-im-deutschlandfunk-zu-historischen-friedensverhandlungen