Russia's shadow fleet: Recruitment centers in Ukraine revealed

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced on Wednesday via the X platform that a Russian ship from the "shadow fleet," which is under sanctions, conducted suspicious maneuvers near the power cable connecting Poland with Sweden. He added that after intervention by the Polish military, the ship returned to Russia.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, in response to this incident, announced a special meeting at the Maritime Operations Center in Gdynia. Thursday's meeting will include Prime Minister Donald Tusk, the Minister of National Defense, as well as representatives from the Navy and other services responsible for the country's security.

Gen. Roman Polko, former commander of GROM, noted in a conversation with "Fakt" that Russia conducts hybrid warfare in many areas: along the border, in cyberspace, and at sea.

It's clear that Russia is not a peaceful country. It is a country that seeks to attack the West and uses criminals (including those from the West) for this purpose, emphasized Gen. Polko.

He also explained that the "shadow fleet" recruits crew members mainly in Europe—"in countries that are declared enemies of Russian aggression against Ukraine." Surprisingly, according to Gen. Polko, "there are 20 such recruitment centers in Ukraine itself."

This indicates the inefficiency of the administration and services, as they allow this fleet, initially intended to circumvent sanctions, to evolve into a force similar to the so-called little green men, who had no military insignia but conducted military actions, albeit subversive ones, points out Gen. Polko in a conversation with "Fakt".

The "shadow fleet" consists of outdated ships that sail under different flags but are used by Russia to bypass Western sanctions. These vessels sell Russian oil at prices exceeding the established cap. They are usually uninsured, which means there is no accountability in the event of an environmental disaster.