Russian Military Freighters May Be Slipping Intelligence Officers Ashore
The Dossier Center published an investigation into suspicious passengers carried aboard civilian Russian-flagged cargo ships that transport Russian military exports to Africa. It identified 28 passengers who embarked at Kaliningrad but were not apparently on board when the ship concerned returned to the Baltic, and whose false-name passports were issued by offices previously known to have prepared Russian Military Intelligence documents. All Russian-flagged ships identified as being involved in this military cargo trade are now sanctioned, and most belong to Astrakhan-based MG-Flot.
Why it matters: The reported use of civilian cargo vessels for possible covert personnel movement bears on maritime security and sanctions enforcement.