Poland Thwarts Russian ‘Shadow Fleet’ Intrusion Near Baltic Power Cable
While the US is now openly pushing to “get back into business with Russia”, the Kremlin’s ongoing hybrid warfare tactics are ramping to war with America’s most important allies. Today, the Polish military intervened to repel a Russian “shadow fleet” vessel conducting suspicious maneuvers near a vital undersea power cable connecting Poland and Sweden.
The incident underscores the persistent threat Russia poses to European critical infrastructure.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced the event on the X social media platform, stating that the Polish military’s swift response forced the sanctioned vessel to retreat to a Russian port. Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz detailed that a patrol flight deterred the ship, while the Polish Navy’s ORP Heweliusz was dispatched to investigate further .
The targeted infrastructure, the 600-megawatt SwePol high-voltage direct current (HVDC) submarine cable, is a cornerstone of regional energy security, facilitating electricity exchange between Sweden and Poland. The cable remains operational, with over 600 megawatts of electricity flowing to Sweden at the time of the incident.
This event follows a series of similar provocations. In December 2024, Finnish authorities detained the Russian-linked tanker Eagle S after it allegedly damaged the Estlink 2 submarine cable between Finland and Estonia. Investigations revealed a 100-kilometer drag mark on the seabed, suggesting deliberate sabotage .
The Kremlin’s use of the so-called “shadow fleet“—a network of aging, often unflagged tankers employed to circumvent Western sanctions—has been repeatedly implicated in such incidents. These vessels not only transport sanctioned goods but also serve as tools of geopolitical coercion, threatening the stability of NATO member states.
In response to these escalating threats, NATO has intensified efforts to safeguard critical undersea infrastructure. Initiatives include the establishment of the Maritime Centre for Security of Critical Undersea Infrastructure in London and a multinational naval headquarters in Rostock, Germany.