From Wagner to GRU, Russian Military Men Are Manning Moscow’s Shadow Fleet

European and Baltic officials report that Russia is placing covert security teams from sanctioned private firms (RSB Group, Moran Security) aboard shadow-fleet oil tankers in the Baltic Sea to prevent foreign interdictions and coordinate with naval escorts, amid a quadrupled Russian naval presence since 2022. The presence of potentially armed guards raises the risk for boarding operations, and experts warn these vessels may serve as platforms for sabotage or intelligence activities—including potential drone deployment—against a backdrop of recent undersea cable incidents.