At the weekly briefing on Friday, [head of the Estonian Defense Forces’ Intelligence Center Col. Ants] Kiviselg highlighted this year’s successful non-conventional attacks on Russia’s shadow fleet. These have taken place in both the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, near the coasts of Libya, Italy, and Turkey, and most recently on July 6 near the port of Ust-Luga in the Gulf of Finland.
“The exact method of the attacks is still unclear, but experts believe the most likely scenario is the use of time-delayed underwater mines that are attached to the hull of the ship. Such mines typically do not cause the ship to sink in most cases, but depending on the vessel’s cargo and the placement of the mine, a complete sinking cannot be ruled out,” said the head of military intelligence.
The colonel said the direct impact of the attacks on combat operations is indirect and rather minor, as Russia’s fleet is believed to be between 700 and 900 vessels.
However, they have highlighted Moscow’s vulnerability.
“If these attacks continue, they could in the long term negatively impact the use of the shadow fleet in circumventing sanctions and thereby also the financing of the Russian Federation’s war machine,” Kiviselg noted.
He added that no one has claimed responsibility for these attacks so far.
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