Russian espionage in the Baltic Sea: “The need for action is huge”

Politicians and experts are calling on the German government to take decisive action against Russian espionage in the North and Baltic Seas. ndr, WDR and the SZ had revealed how Russia systematically spies on underwater infrastructure.

The explosion of the Nord Stream pipelines two years ago was seen by many as a warning shot. Politicians from across Europe stressed the need to better protect critical infrastructure. Europe is highly dependent on pipelines and fiber optic cables on the seabed that transport gas and data to millions of households. Offshore wind farms, whose output is set to grow enormously in the coming decades, are also part of this vital infrastructure.

But so far too little has been done to protect them, complains CDU politician Christoph de Vries. “Whether you talk to the military, police or security experts, everyone is of the same opinion. When it comes to protecting critical underwater infrastructure, there is an enormous need for action,” says De Vries.

Journalists from ndr, WDR and SZ, together with international partners, have evaluated the activity of around 70 Russian research vessels since the beginning of the war against Ukraine and were able to identify more than 400 individual voyages. On around 60 of these voyages in the North and Baltic Seas, the ships showed conspicuous movements such as zigzag patterns, slow travel or stops, which experts say indicate data collection activities. Russian authorities left inquiries about this unanswered.

FDP European politician Agnes Strack-Zimmermann sees “room for improvement” in the protection of critical infrastructure on and under the sea: “If we want to protect ourselves clearly against despots, we need much simpler ways,” said Strack-Zimmermann in ndr-Interview.

Complex legal situation complicates protection

The current legal situation is confusing, however. Several authorities share responsibility: while the Federal Police is responsible for the tasks in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), the state police are responsible in the twelve-mile zone. In practice, however, the Federal Police and the Navy often work together to escort suspicious ships. In addition to military and research ships, Russia is said to use tankers, fishing trawlers and yachts for espionage. Since the start of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, 150 Russian ships have been proven to have crossed German coastal waters, which has placed a considerable strain on the surveillance resources of German security forces.

Possible cases of underwater sabotage pose considerable challenges for the German Federal Police. Although threat prevention falls under their responsibility, their capabilities at greater depths are limited. “I don’t know that the German police have submarines,” is how a high-ranking naval officer sums up the situation.

Security expert Moritz Brake stresses that the Navy is “best equipped” to deal with underwater threats. He calls for its competencies to be strengthened. Navy circles themselves say that it is important not to have to discuss responsibilities in an emergency.

after a Maritime Safety Act

In view of the gaps in the protection of critical infrastructure, experts are calling for a maritime safety law that defines clear responsibilities for the protection of pipelines, data cables and offshore wind farms.

International law expert Nele Matz-Lück from the University of Kiel is one of them: “I do not have the impression that we have progressed as quickly as is guaranteed.” Other countries have already done more to protect their cables and pipes underwater. Maritime law expert Wolf Heintschel von Heinegg points to Australia and New Zealand, which have set up restricted areas to protect underwater infrastructure.

However, a maritime safety law could lead to a transfer of powers from the states to the federal government, which makes implementation politically complicated. CDU politician de Vries has already initiated a discussion in the Bundestag about a maritime safety law “analogous to the aviation safety law”.

The Federal Ministry of the Interior is apparently not currently working on such a law. However, when asked, a spokesperson told ndr, WDR and SZ that they are working “at full speed on the draft of the KRITIS umbrella law”. KRITIS stands for critical infrastructure. This law is intended to define clear responsibilities for the operator rules and their responsibility in an emergency.

The film “Putin’s Fleet – Russian Espionage in the Baltic Sea” is available in the ARD media library.