A Russian fishing trawler has been tracking America’s nuclear submarines, a report from a group of Scandinavian investigators warns. Russia has allegedly been “running a program to spy on NATO assets and key infrastructure from fishing vessels in the North Sea.”
Russia tracking our subs
A joint investigation done by a group of public broadcasters in Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland reveals that Russia is tracking NATO assets and also some “key infrastructure.” They’re apparently using a whole fleet of what look like fishing boats or research vessels.
They happen to be well equipped with “underwater surveillance tools for mapping sabotage targets.” That’s a stunning accusation and there’s more coming. Wednesday night’s show was only “the first of a series of reports on this investigation.” The news is being broadcast all across Scandinavia on various local networks.
What the investigative journalists learned is that “over the past 10 years, at least 50 Russian ships have been secretly collecting information in NATO waters.” One of the tracking ships is reported to be the “Taurus, a trawler owned by Norebo.”
🇷🇺🇺🇲The trawler Taurus, owned by #Russian company Norebo, "chased" an American nuclear submarine, according to a Norwegian website .
The USS South Dakota sub, and then followed the same course. The sub could not escape from the trawler even under water, author of article claims. pic.twitter.com/LlSBJY9o9d
— Sukhoi Su-57 "Felon"👑ZOV (@75Sukhoi) April 20, 2023
They have it linked to the alleged surveillance program because it “harvests in the Barents and Norwegian Seas and lands in various ports in northern Norway.”
That’s some pretty circumstantial evidence so the reporters continue. The Taurus “recently drew suspicion from Norwegian authorities for a close encounter with a NATO submarine.” One which it appears to have been tracking.
Norebo is operated by Russian billionaire Vitaly Orlov, and happens to be the “the largest fisheries quota holder in Russia, and a significant supplier of cod, haddock and pollock to world markets, including the UK and Europe.” That provides a whole lot of “plausible deniability” cover.
Sudden departure from Norway
Due to ongoing sanctions, Russian fishing boats are banned from docking in Europe but they’re sill “allowed access to some Norwegian ports.” The EU may talk tough about sanctions but they don’t walk the walk. “Europe’s direct purchases of Russian whitefish reached nearly $1 billion last year.”
Things started looking fishy for the Taurus when the 64-meter-long trawler overstayed it’s dock schedule in Tromso, Norway. Apparently because it had a prime target for tracking pop up.
According to a local pilot service, the “Taurus had repeatedly delayed a planned departure.” That sort of thing gets noticed because it clogs up the docks for loading and unloading.
https://twitter.com/bythesfbay/status/1649238256217899008
The captain didn’t seem to mind because he had a sub to start tracking. “However, as the submarine USS South Dakota was towed into the Norwegian harbor, the Russian vessel suddenly left port and sailed in the path of the submarine.”
That’s only one report of sub tracking for the Taurus. The boat’s also had “unusual” movements “coinciding with the surfacing of U.S. submarines and a NATO exercises.” Russia’s Ambassador to Norway “denied that the Taurus was involved in monitoring any NATO assets.” The suggestion is nothing but standard “Russophobia.”
Other ships have been linked to surveillance operations, too. “In November 2022, police in Kirkenes, Norway, found two vessels — the Ester and Lira — with identical, dated radio devices locked below decks.” What those obsolete units were used for is a different story. We do know that the gear is “used to send and receive calls and Morse code.“