Russia Secretly Spied on NATO Nuclear Bases — The Guardian
Russia may have been conducting covert reconnaissance of NATO countries’ nuclear facilities for more than a year and a half using drones launched from ships in the so-called “shadow fleet.”
This is according to a report by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).
Analysts examined 144 drone incidents in more than ten European countries and concluded that the campaign was likely coordinated by Russian intelligence services. According to their data, the drones monitored the Leakenheath Air Base in the United Kingdom, the French nuclear submarine base at Île-Long, as well as the Kleine-Brogel base in Belgium and the Volkel base in the Netherlands, where U.S. nuclear weapons are stationed.
The report notes that the drones may have been launched from ships belonging to a “shadow fleet” that were positioned near the coast with their transponders turned off. Some of the ships were likely used as signal relays or support vessels for such operations.
According to IISS experts, the campaign was most likely orchestrated by units of the Russian military intelligence agency, the GRU. The primary objectives were to gather intelligence on nuclear facilities, logistics routes, and military infrastructure, as well as to exert psychological pressure on European countries.
The report’s authors emphasize that none of the drones detected were shot down or intercepted, indicating serious gaps in NATO countries’ defenses against small drones. After European countries stepped up their efforts to detain vessels belonging to Russia’s shadow fleet in early 2026, the number of such incidents began to decline.
Source: The Guardian.
France detained the Tagor, a tanker belonging to Russia’s shadow fleet, in the Atlantic.
The European Union is considering adding about 20 additional tankers from Russia’s shadow fleet to future restrictive measures aimed at reducing Moscow’s oil revenues. New sanctions are also planned to be extended to ships carrying liquefied natural gas to prevent the Kremlin from creating a similar shadow fleet for LNG.
