Russian Spy Ship Escorted From NATO Waters After Breaking Down

One of Moscow’s spy ships that had broken down has been accompanied away from an area surrounded by NATO countries, it has been reported, as a map by Newsweek shows its route back to Russia.

Since the start of President Vladimir Putin‘s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, there has been a significant increase in Russian Navy intelligence ships sailing toward the Atlantic Ocean, which are monitored by NATO, the Army Recognition news outlet reported.

Open-source intelligence X, formerly Twitter, account Auonsson posted on Tuesday how last week the vessel Chusovoy had broken down in the Kattegat, a body of water whose shores include those of Denmark and Sweden and leads into the North Sea.

The Danish publication Danwatch reported that on Monday, the Chusovoy had sailed under the Great Belt Bridge, which links the Danish islands of Zealand and Funen, accompanied by the Russian military tugboat SB-123 and under close surveillance from a Danish patrol vessel.

Next to images of the vessel and a satellite map of its route, Auonsson posted on X that “after a few days at anchor, she was escorted back under own power by tug SB123.”

“Chusovoy was on her way from a whole summer overhaul in Kronshtadt,” said the X post on Wednesday, referring to the Russian port city west of St. Petersburg. “They received the normal NATO escorts.” it added, saying it was southeast of the Danish island of Bornholm. A map by Newsweek above shows this route.

Danish Defense Command told Danwatch it would only confirm it had been surveilling the Chusovoy, but did not comment further.

Newsweek has contacted the Russian Defense Ministry and the Danish Defense Command via email for comment.

The Chusovoy is part of Russia’s Northern Fleet and specializes in intercepting signals from Western submarines, according to defense publication Janes. Spending most of its time in the cold waters of the Barents and Norwegian Seas, the vessel also sailed under the Great Belt Bridge in May during a rare visit to the Baltic.

The purpose of the latest trip so close to NATO countries is unclear. In June, a joint-investigation by the Follow the Money platform and Belgian newspaper De Tijd reported that Russia’s fleet of suspected spy ships operating in the North Sea had grown to nearly 200 civilian vessels.

This group of fishing boats, cargo ships, oil tankers, research vessels and pleasure yachts are suspected of gathering intelligence on critical infrastructure and pipelines.

Jens Wenzel Kristoffersen, a naval analyst at Nordic Defence Analysis, told Danwatch that the Chusovoy may have been inspecting an underwater cable routing near the Anholt Offshore Wind Farm.

“It may also have been a transit passage where they just sail through Danish waters,” he added, according to a translation.

Following Finland’s accession, NATO members now encircle the Baltic Sea, including Denmark, Norway, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Germany, leading the area to be dubbed a “NATO Lake” and a buffer to Russia.