Polish Aircraft Intercept Russian Tanker Near Undersea Cable
According to announcements made by the Polish Ministry of Defense and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, a Russian tanker ship was detected on May 20, carrying out “suspicious maneuvers” near an energy cable connecting Poland and Sweden. Poland responded immediately by scrambling aircraft to the area. In response, the Russian vessel departed and returned to Russian ports without further incident. The Polish Navy survey ship ORP Heweliusz was then directed to the site to scan the sea floor where the incident had occurred. According to PSE, the company which owns the 600-megawatt cable, there have been no indications of any disruption.
The suspicious ship in question was the Sun which flies the Antiguan flag but belongs to Russia’s “shadow fleet”. Russia relies on its shadow fleet to help evade sanctions by smuggling petroleum, weapons, grain, and other sanctioned export items. Russian operations in the Baltic have attracted heightened NATO attention in recent years following a string of high-profile incidents where communication cables connecting NATO countries were cut. Russian ships are often prime suspects in sabotage cases.
Nevertheless, despite this reported success, some commentators argue that this incident underscores Poland’s vulnerability to Russian hybrid warfare tactics in the Baltic. Retired Polish naval Commander Maksymilian Dura wrote that had the Russian vessel intended to destroy the cable, the aircraft would have arrived too late to do anything other than just observe the fleeing ship. Survey ships, meanwhile, can respond to but not prevent damage. In order to check Russian activities, the Polish Navy needs to acquire swift patrol vessels which could catch up to and board retreating Russian vessels.
Moreover, Commander Dura underscores that the Baltic theater offers a great opportunity for Russia to stretch Polish military resources. Stepped-up Russian operations in the Baltics would strain Polish resources, requiring frequent and expensive air scrambles. Additionally, dropping objects near critical undersea infrastructure would compel Poland to deploy specialized ships to retrieve and examine them, ensuring they pose no danger. Thus, if Poland cannot intercept Russian tankers with surface ships, it will remain vulnerable to such tactics.