Russia may have used the wreck of the ferry Estonia as a training ground for underwater operations in the Baltic Sea - and possibly to install equipment for undersea surveillance.
Several NATO countries have reported that technical devices were attached to the wreck several years ago, enabling high-precision navigation for underwater drones and robots, according to a joint investigation by German broadcasters WDR and NDR and the newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung (SZ), published Friday, October 24.
Western security circles believe Russian forces conducted related drills in the area. Russia may also have installed sensors to record the signatures of NATO ships and submarines, WDR, NDR and SZ report.
The ferry Estonia sank in September 1994. A year later, Sweden, Estonia and Finland signed an agreement banning dives to the wreck out of respect for the dead. The vessel was built in 1979 at a shipyard in what was then West Germany.
Undersea reconnaissance of this kind in Russia falls under the Defense Ministry’s Main Directorate of Deep-Sea Research (GUGI). Its remit includes intelligence operations involving critical infrastructure such as undersea cables and pipelines in European countries. The directorate operates a fleet of special-purpose vessels, officially designated as research ships, and a wide array of equipment — small submarines, underwater robots, and powerful sonars and scanners for undersea surveillance.
That includes the Northern Fleet’s oceanographic research vessel Yantar. GUGI is believed to use hydrophones to record the movements of adversaries’ ships.
Some equipment was purchased through a company in Cyprus, NDR, WDR and SZ report, in deals worth about $50 million (43 million euros). Certain systems were used to build a comprehensive Arctic monitoring network called “Harmony” - an underwater sensor system installed in the Barents Sea to protect Russia’s nuclear arsenal.
Russian sensor networks are also believed to be active in the Baltic Sea. In early 2024, Lithuania said a Russian-made hydroacoustic locator was found on the Curonian Spit.
Authorities in Finland and Estonia did not confirm the media outlets’ findings regarding the Estonia wreck. Estonia’s Foreign Ministry said it is closely monitoring the Baltic Sea together with allies. Finland’s Border Guard said it would not disclose details for operational reasons.
“Estonian data do not confirm such claims. Various Estonian agencies, together with allies, closely monitor events in the Baltic Sea. This area of the Baltic is among the most closely watched,” an Estonian Defense Ministry spokesperson told Postimees.
A German Defense Ministry spokesperson said the ministry monitors underwater activity that “may be directed against critical maritime infrastructure or serve espionage purposes.” No details were provided, as disclosure “would allow conclusions about our capabilities in intelligence, detection and recording in the underwater environment.”
NATO did not comment on the media reports. Russian authorities did not respond to requests for comment.
