Russian espionage has been exposed in the most sensitive of targets: European nuclear sites, including those within Britain. A landmark report from the International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS) reveals a staggering 144 incidents of drone surveillance across more than a dozen countries over an 18-month period, with Moscow operating with near-impunity and exposing critical vulnerabilities in European air defences.
The UK's own RAF Lakenheath base in Suffolk – soon to house US nuclear weapons – was among the key targets, as were French nuclear submarine facilities at Île Longue in Brittany. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), often with their transponders switched off, are thought to have been launched from 'shadow fleet' vessels operating undetected in international waters.
According to the IISS report, NATO air defences failed to capture or shoot down a single drone, highlighting a strategic weakness. Senior fellow Charlie Edwards notes that while governments have hesitated to attribute these incidents openly to Russia, an acknowledgment of the issue exists beneath the surface. The study suggests existing defence systems are geared towards conventional military threats, leaving them ill-equipped to counter low-flying, relatively inexpensive drones.
Suspected launch points for these drones included vessels in the North Sea off Essex, such as the Seasons 1 tanker, and en route to Hull docks on the cargo ship Hav Dolphin. The latter was also implicated in drone activity near a German submarine base. In at least one instance, a police helicopter attempting to track drones entering UK airspace had to withdraw for safety reasons, and plans for anti-drone laser deployment were considered but ultimately shelved.
The motivations behind the alleged Russian campaign are complex, encompassing nuclear surveillance, reconnaissance of military logistics and supply chains, and possibly even "economic attrition and psychological warfare". The report also discloses that French commandos' boarding of a 'shadow fleet' tanker – the Boracay – led to the discovery of two Russian nationals employed by a private military company. This confirms the militarisation of these vessels, suggesting orchestration by Russia's GRU military intelligence agency.