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Heavy Machine Guns Found on russian Shadow Fleet Vessel
Defense Express • • world
Key Points:
- Ukraine's Center for Countering Disinformation warns that Russia is increasingly militarizing its shadow fleet, using vessels not only to evade sanctions but also as potential military threats to European security.
- The Russian LNG carrier Marshal Vasilevskiy, owned by Gazprom, was found by Estonian authorities to be equipped with heavy machine guns and firing positions, suggesting a military purpose beyond commercial shipping.
- At least half of the crew members on the vessel were identified as current or former personnel from Russia's Federal Security Service, National Guard, or Armed Forces, indicating a blend of military and commercial roles.
- This militarization blurs the line between civilian energy transport and state-controlled military assets, raising concerns about the dual-use nature of Russia's shadow fleet.
- Separately, Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces have been conducting operations to destroy Russian radar sites in the Bryansk region, facilitating drone strikes deep into Russian territory.
