Intel assessment

Estonian intelligence flags Russian civilian vessels as would-be spy ships

Russian civilian vessels may be employed by Moscow to spy on critical military infrastructure of NATO members, according to a new report by the Estonian intelligence service.

The annual assessment paints a picture of Russia ready to risk a large-scale war with NATO when any of its immediate neighbors, especially Belarus, are seen as getting too cozy with the West. According to the analysis, the Kremlin is equally jumpy when it comes to the Baltic states, considering the former Soviet-bloc countries as legitimate NATO targets in the event of an actual war.

“Even though the likelihood of a worst-case scenario is slim, surprises arranged by its authoritarian regime cannot be excluded,” the report states.

The Estonian intelligence assessment asserts that Russian civilian vessels are widely used as fronts for national-security missions. For example, it cites cases when Russian research ships have been observed to be especially curious to explore areas where alliance military drills are held.