Wagner, Redut, Moran, GRU, private and state security - the mercenaries on the shadow fleet come from a variety of Russian military instituions. They've fought in Ukraine, Syria and Mali before secretly going on board the shadow fleet.
But who are they?
Read the full piece here.
Putins mercenaries’ man the shadow fleet.
Through fake job interviews and more than 2000 crew lists Danwatch and our international partners are now able to tell exactly when, why and where Russian mercenaries man tankers from the shadow fleet.
Three articles out today. In Danish. Read here.
They were supposed to keep the crew in check, but they were unarmed and proved powerless against attacks by Ukrainian drones.
We tracked down all the mercenaries. We found out who hired them, and why European law enforcement agencies are wary of them
www.occrp.org/en/investiga...
Russiske lejesoldater, militær- og sikkerhedsfolk har sejlet hemmeligt rundt i Danmark. Danwatch tegner her et billede af, hvem der er tale om.
danwatch.dk
Danwatch kan sammen med internationale mediepartnere for første gang afsløre, at russiske lejesoldater sejler rundt på skyggeflåden i det skjulte for at overvåg
There is unconfirmed information that a high-ranking Russian military officer was on board (I even saw that GRU General Averyanov was mentioned). However, according to the ship's documents, Qendil left Novorossiysk on November 4 without passengers and without any Russian citizens among the crew
Starting in the spring of 2025, Russia deployed mercenaries who had served in the Wagner Group, Redut, the African Corps, and other private military companies to protect tankers in the shadow fleet
dossier.center/sea-convoy/
Ilia Rozhdestvenskii
The Dossier uncovered one of the most secretive units in the Russian military — the Special Strategic Communications Service (Service K). Its officers handle the “nuclear briefcases” and accompany top leaders. I reveal who they are, their backgrounds, and pay.
open.substack.com/pub/therussi...
The Dossier uncovered one of the most secretive units in the Russian military — the Special Strategic Communications Service (Service K). Its officers handle the “nuclear briefcases” and accompany top leaders. I reveal who they are, their backgrounds, and pay.
open.substack.com/pub/therussi...
Two Russians with experience in the GRU special forces and Wagner group were aboard the tanker Qendil, which was delivering Russian oil to India. In December 2025, Ukraine struck this ship in the Mediterranean Sea
therussiansource.substack.com/p/wagner-esc...
The mysterious container ship with Iranian ties carries forged certificates and a Russian-Iranian crew, according to documents obtained by Danwatch and the Dossier Center
danwatch.dk/en/leaked-da...
Ilia Rozhdestvenskii
Ilia Rozhdestvenskii
The mysterious container ship with Iranian ties carries forged certificates and a Russian-Iranian crew. According to experienced mariners, it is highly unusual
One of the Russian GPS spoofers around St Petersburg sports what looks like an aim function.
There is a realistic possibility this has been used to drive Ukrainian attack drones into NATO territory.
So far, I only have two anecdotes to show for it, data collection ongoing.
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Hot take on latest Russian tanker which is burning.... this one in Mediterranean (!)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQGv...
Dozens of men with security backgrounds have been quietly sailing alongside the standard crews on the tankers carrying sanctioned Russian oil. Now, reporters speak to some of these "watchmen" firsthan...
