- Category
- Latest news
Russia Turns to Private Military Contractors to Guard Its Shadow Fleet Oil Tankers
- Authors
![Photo of Ivan Khomenko]( "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
Russia has begun placing former mercenaries and security personnel aboard vessels belonging to its shadow fleet, which transports Russian oil under sanctions.
We bring you stories from the ground. Your support keeps our team in the field.
According to Helsingin Sanomat on March 11, the Finnish outlet identified at least 17 individuals operating on shadow fleet ships in the Gulf of Finland who appear to lack formal maritime qualifications.
The investigation was conducted in cooperation with Delfi and the international investigative journalism network Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP).
The Swedish Navy has discovered armed individuals on board one of the vessels belonging to the so-called Russian "shadow fleet".
— Sprinter Press (@SprinterPress) February 2, 2026
According to unconfirmed information, the men in camouflage may be from the ranks of the Wagner PMC. pic.twitter.com/6733MysTBS
The report indicates that these individuals function as security personnel on board the vessels and, in some cases, exert influence over ship crews.
According to Helsingin Sanomat, at least 12 of the identified individuals may have links to the Wagner Group or to Russian military intelligence structures. One of the mercenaries identified by the investigation was reported to be a man named Viktor A., who was found working aboard a civilian vessel connected to the shadow fleet.
Western intelligence officials have also confirmed the presence of such personnel on the ships. Representatives from several Western civilian and military intelligence services, including Finland’s Finnish Security and Intelligence Service, told the outlet that “security groups” have been deployed aboard some of the vessels.
According to the Finnish security service, these personnel embedded among civilian crews may serve as intermediaries between shadow fleet ships and Russian military forces, which have increased their presence in the Baltic Sea.
Additional reporting by SVT Nyheter cited information from Swedish intelligence suggesting that employees of private military companies are operating on board these ships.
“We see that personnel from private military companies are working aboard these ships, including security coordinators,” a source in the intelligence community told SVT Nyheter. “But precisely because they are private companies, they cannot be separated from the state when it comes to Russia.”
According to the same reporting, some vessels have been observed carrying armed personnel in uniform. Intelligence sources also reported that mannequins resembling armed guards have been placed on deck to simulate the presence of additional security staff.
Belgian forces previously boarded the Russian-linked tanker Ethera in the North Sea during Operation Blue Intruder in March 2026. The vessel, part of the so-called shadow fleet used to transport sanctioned oil, was intercepted near Ostend and escorted to the port of Zeebrugge.
-7f54d6f9a1e9b10de9b3e7ee663a18d9.png)
-111f0e5095e02c02446ffed57bfb0ab1.jpeg "Photo of Roman Kohanets")
-c439b7bd9030ecf9d5a4287dc361ba31.jpg "Photo of Katherina Popilnichenko")
