[REGNUM] A "documentary" film produced jointly by Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland claims that Russian "spy ships" are being given the status of civilian ships. Therefore, they have the opportunity to move freely in the territorial waters of other countries and enter their ports. These vessels can covertly carry drones, explosives, equipment for intercepting information, and also transport special sabotage units.
In April, the Finnish State Debt Collection Authority announced the seizure of the land and real estate of the Russian Center for Science and Culture (RCSC) in Helsinki. But then the Finns changed their minds, quickly turned back and lifted the arrest.
There is reason to believe that this incident is one of the "sighting shots" in the information operation launched by the northern states. The goal is to accuse Moscow of preparing grandiose sabotage actions against NATO countries and finally “bring down” the relations of the Scandinavian countries with Russia.
In this way, it is supposed to influence public opinion in Sweden, not all of whose inhabitants, as it turns out, support joining the North Atlantic Alliance.
NEW BOUTS OF FINNISH SPY MANIA
The decision to seize the real estate of the RCSC is connected with the EU sanctions. The Finnish authorities were thinking about taking this step back in July 2022, in line with the general policy of seizing the property of persons under sanctions. The Finnish press began preparing public opinion last year. The media announced that the cultural institution serves the interests of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service.
However, in 2022, the Finns still did not dare to take active steps against the RCSC. They started them in March 2023, first seizing the accounts of the institution, and later on real estate.
In addition, the debt collection office (Ulosottovirasto) seized seven flats in Helsinki. According to the Finnish media, these apartments, in which Russian diplomats lived, belonged to Rossotrudnichestvo, which was under EU sanctions.
The news was commented in the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They reported that a note had been sent to the Finnish Foreign Ministry demanding to clarify how the actions of the bailiffs correspond to the norms of international law providing for the immunity of Russian state property.
However, it was soon announced that the temporary arrest imposed on the property of the RCSC in Helsinki was canceled. Ulosottovirasto employee Aki Virtanen announced that " there were no grounds for seizure of property."
Particularly curious in this situation is the fact that the Finnish authorities justified the measures against the RCSC by saying that the center allegedly serves as a cover for espionage. Indeed, in recent days, not only in Finland, but also in other northern countries, the flywheel of hysterical catching of Russian spies and saboteurs has been spinning.
On May 3, the Finnish state broadcaster Yle stunned the audience with a report that ships of the Russian fleet were several times near the sites of explosions of the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines last year. Allegedly, this happened less than a week before the explosions on the pipeline.
"In one of the cases, the ship was near the explosion site for almost a day. In total, we are talking about at least three visits by different ships," says Yle.
The version that "Russia itself blew up its own gas pipeline" began to be pumped in the Western press last fall. But then the wave quickly subsided due to the obvious absurdity of this version.
Then Seymour Hersh appeared with his sensational revelations, and in order to divert suspicions from Washington, the US and EU media tried to introduce into the mass consciousness the story of a certain “pro-Ukrainian group” that had sabotaged SP-1 and SP-2. However, apparently, the concept is changing again - it was decided to return to the original version with the fault of Russia.
"WAR OF SHADOWS"
Recently, journalists from Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland published their "documentary" film "War of the Shadows". The content of the film is an “investigation” of the activities of “fifty suspicious Russian ships” that have recently been in the waters of Scandinavia.
It is alleged that Russian “spy ships” are given the status of civilian, fishing, cargo or research vessels for the purpose of camouflage. Therefore, they can move freely in the territorial waters of other countries and enter their ports. According to the "revelations" of the Scandinavian TV channels SVT, DR, NRK and Yle, these ships can covertly carry drones with video cameras, sensors and even explosives, equipment for intercepting information, and also transport special sabotage units.
The Scandinavian press alleges that Russian "spy boats" are mapping military bases as well as wind farms, gas pipelines, power lines and underwater Internet cables, collecting information about offshore oil and gas fields.
An anonymous ex-British Navy intelligence officer named James (sic!) is quoted as warning that this could be "one of Russia's first explicit attempts to find out how this country can influence the production and distribution of electricity in Western Europe."
British analysts claim that Russia is studying the seabed in order to be able to harm the infrastructure of NATO countries. And a lecturer at the Norwegian Defense Academy, Stole Ulriksen , fears that Russia could use hundreds of ships from its civilian fleet to lay mines in NATO territorial waters.
Journalists asked the Russian embassies in Helsinki, Oslo, Copenhagen and Stockholm to comment on this "investigation".
The answer came only from the Russian Ambassador to Norway Teimuraz Ramishvili . “ Research projects are coordinated through diplomatic channels and comply with international law ,” the diplomat assured. He stressed that Russian ships operate in the territorial waters of other countries only in accordance with local and international laws.
WE EVEN GOT TO THE FISH
Indirectly responded to the "War of Shadows" and the Russian Ambassador to Copenhagen Vladimir Barbin. He caught Danish politicians and the media in an attempt to sabotage cooperation in the field of fisheries between Russia and the Faroe Islands, which are part of Denmark as an autonomous region.
The fact is that against the backdrop of the release of the “War of Shadows”, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Faroe Islands, Hogni Hoydal, said that the authorities of the autonomy have the right to independently decide on the admission of Russian fishing vessels to ports on their territory. To limit this right, according to Hoydal, the authorities of the Faroe Islands do not intend to.
But this state of affairs, according to Barbin, displeases Copenhagen.
"Only those who do not have knowledge of the essence of the subject or maliciously want to compromise and destroy the decades-old mutually beneficial cooperation between Russia and the Faroe Islands in the field of fishing can seriously discuss the disinformation nonsense that is being spread today in the Danish media," the ambassador emphasizes.
Regarding the film "War of Shadows", Barbin emphasized that fishing in the Baltic, in the North and Norwegian Seas is carried out as transparently as possible. According to the ambassador, Russian fishing vessels are regularly inspected, both on the high seas and in ports. The diplomat added that great attention is paid to the issues of mutual inspections, the use of a satellite tracking system, and the exchange of information about vessels participating in the fishery.
Barbin noted that Russia's cooperation with both Norway and the Faroe Islands in this area is carried out on the basis of intergovernmental agreements and in full compliance with international law.
Apparently, they will try to use the film "War of the Shadows" in order to make it as difficult as possible for the activities of Russian fishing boats in the waters surrounding Scandinavia. Moreover, such attempts have been made for quite a long time. So, in February 2023, the Norwegian press called for the closure of three ports for Russian fishing trawlers - Kirkenes, Tromsø and Botsfjord.
“WE DO NOT WANT TO JOIN THE CONFLICT”
The spy mania and military hysteria in the Scandinavian countries are no coincidence. It is designed to legitimize a large-scale transformation of the international security architecture in the region. First and foremost, of course, we are talking about Finland and Sweden joining NATO.
On April 22, a demonstration of pacifists took place in the center of one of the largest cities in Sweden, Gothenburg. At least 2.5 thousand citizens (for a calm Sweden, this is quite a lot) came out to express their disagreement with the rejection of the two-hundred-year-old policy of neutrality and the planned entry into NATO.
The immediate cause for dissatisfaction was the Aurora-23, the largest military exercise in the country in many years, taking place from April 17 to May 11, with the participation of not only the Swedish army, but also soldiers from 13 other countries, including Ukraine.
Gothenburgers are unhappy that their country is being turned into a training ground. Raising the slogans “No to NATO!” and “Stop Exercise Aurora 23,” protesters marched through central city streets and unwittingly blocked several tram lines.
"No soldiers, no rifles, no crown for NATO armed forces!" chanted the demonstrators in the center of Gothenburg.
"We are here because we want to preserve our freedom. We absolutely do not want to join this great power conflict that is currently going on between the US, China and Russia. We have become a vassal state in the game of great power politics. War brings only death to soldiers and civilians," said Gunnel Berje, one of the organizers of the Gothenburg Peace Committee.
As you know, Sweden, due to a number of nuances, failed to join NATO at the same time as Finland. And, as it turns out, not all Swedes are thrilled by such a prospect.
Increasing intensity of spy mania should convince the doubting residents of the state that the path to the North Atlantic Alliance has no alternatives.
May 4, 2023
Viktor Lavrinenko