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The Baltic on High Alert: Poland Takes Action Against "Shadow Fleet"

Republic of Poland - The Chancellery of the Prime Minister

22.05.2025

Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Deputy Minister of National Defense Cezary Tomczyk took part in an urgent briefing with the Navy command at the Maritime Operations Center in Gdynia. This was in response to disturbing activities by the so-called "shadow fleet" in the Baltic Sea. Thanks to rapid and coordinated actions by the Polish military, damage to the power cable connecting Poland and Sweden was averted. The Baltic is now becoming a new arena of confrontation, demanding constant readiness and further investment in regional and critical infrastructure security.

Protecting the Baltic Sea: A New Security Reality

Amid escalating tensions in the Baltic Sea, Prime Minister Donald Tusk met with the Navy command to discuss measures for protecting key maritime infrastructure. Recent incidents involving the so-called "shadow fleet" underscore the importance of maintaining high readiness and effective cooperation between security services responsible for regional safety.

"There have already been several serious incidents - damage to underwater infrastructure. These threats are not abstract. In the case of the shadow fleet, these are primarily Russian vessels, although sailing under various flags,"
- said Prime Minister Donald Tusk during the briefing at the Maritime Operations Center - Maritime Component Command in Gdynia.

The term "shadow fleet" refers to ships with questionable registration, often involved in sabotage operations—such as dragging anchors along the seabed where underwater infrastructure is located. Previous targets have included Finland, Sweden, and Estonia.

"Not everyone realizes how often critical infrastructure objects—international ones lying on the Baltic seabed—are subject to sabotage or even terrorist acts. We've already seen actions that caused very serious damage,"
- Tusk added.

Thanks to coordinated and professional efforts by Polish services, a potentially dangerous situation was averted, which could have threatened critical underwater infrastructure, including power cables. The situation continues to be monitored in cooperation with the Ministry of National Defense. Investigations are underway to determine whether explosive devices were planted. The ORP Heweliusz naval ship remains at sea.

"In every such situation, a response is essential. There can't be even a shadow of a doubt that we are not vigilant in this difficult moment. The Polish military is alert and on the scene. I thank all soldiers, all sailors, and sincerely appreciate the entire operation,"
- said Deputy Minister of National Defense Cezary Tomczyk.

Immediately after the military intervention, the ship in question changed course from Tallinn to Russia.

Thanks to this operation, potential damage was prevented for both Poland and Sweden. The countries also avoided the high costs of repairing any potential damage. Such incidents highlight the critical importance of continuous operational readiness and the ability to respond to hybrid threats.

The Prime Minister also announced the purchase of drones and technical equipment for the Navy to better protect the region.

"We've decided to immediately start the Navy's procurement of drones and more advanced equipment. With drones, we'll be able to effectively monitor what's happening underwater, on the water, and above it,"
- announced the Prime Minister.

This solution will reduce the cost of using specialized vessels for Baltic monitoring and increase the effectiveness of critical infrastructure protection.

The Baltic as a Key Area for Security and Infrastructure Development

Prime Minister Tusk emphasized that although today's visit to Pomerania had been previously planned, it gained additional significance in the context of recent Baltic events. During his visit, he toured Baltic Towers—a modern factory set to produce towers for offshore wind turbines. This coincidence ties into broader efforts for both security and regional development in the Baltic Sea area.

"This aligns with our broader effort—major investments both onshore and offshore. This includes not only wind power projects but also the nuclear power plant, which will be built primarily using maritime transport. We're talking about offshore installations—large wind farms we will build in the Baltic. Not to mention classic underwater infrastructure: cables, gas pipelines,"
- noted the Prime Minister.

This is why the NATO program Baltic Sentry, initiated by Poland, has become essential. It provides additional NATO protection in the Baltic for a 90-day period (with a possible extension).

"We didn't need to use these measures yesterday, but let's not kid ourselves—there's no room for illusions or denial of facts. The Baltic may soon become, like Poland's eastern border, a site of permanent confrontation—hybrid, though it's no longer purely hybrid,"
- said Tusk.

As the Prime Minister stressed, these are real acts of aggression targeting infrastructure essential to national energy and strategic security.

For this reason, further investments in protection systems and the daily work of soldiers and officers are critical. The Prime Minister did not rule out the need for more decisive operational measures in the future as threats to critical infrastructure increase.

Military Intervention in the Baltic Sea

On May 20, Polish services identified a tanker recently listed as part of the "shadow fleet," which is used to evade sanctions imposed on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.

The tanker was performing suspicious maneuvers near the energy cable—owned by Polish Power Grids—connecting Poland with Sweden. This occurred outside of Polish territorial waters. After successful military intervention, the vessel sailed to a Russian port.

The Operational Commander of the Armed Forces ordered a patrol flight upon identifying the vessel. The deterrence was effective—the ship withdrew.

Polish Power Grids confirmed that the Poland-Sweden connection is operating normally and is being used for electricity exchange. The company is working with state services and institutions to ensure infrastructure security.