HELSINKI — Russia is suspected of spying within the waters of the Baltic Sea and North Sea utilizing civilian fishing trawlers, cargo ships and yachts, the general public broadcasters of 4 Nordic international locations stated in a joint investigation revealed Wednesday.

The investigation by the general public broadcasting firms of Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden uncovered Moscow’s alleged undersea intelligence operations by monitoring the radio visitors and places of Russian vessels touring within the seas over the previous 12 months.

Analyzing the information revealed suspicious crusing patterns, notably round offshore wind farms, fuel pipelines, and undersea energy and knowledge cables, the broadcasters stated. They revealed the investigation on their web sites and deliberate to air a documentary, titled “Shadow War,” with their full findings later Wednesday.

One of their conclusions states that Russian navy and civilian ships have been continuously on the transfer within the Baltic Sea and the North Sea with the intention of mapping crucial infrastructure within the seabed. Among the explanations Moscow could be desirous about doing that will be to plan and put together doable acts of sabotage, akin to reducing the circulate of electrical energy to close by international locations, the joint investigation says.

Asked to touch upon the Nordic allegations that Russia was getting ready to sabotage power infrastructure, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated throughout a convention name with reporters that European international locations “again prefer to baselessly blame Russia for everything.”

“We would prefer it if they focused on the terror attack on the Nord Stream pipelines and the need for a transparent, urgent and broad international inquiry into these unprecedented terrorist acts of sabotage,” Peskov stated, referring to explosions that broken two Russia-to-Germany fuel pipelines within the Baltic Sea final 12 months.

Swedish information company TT quoted Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson as saying he wasn’t shocked by the revelation of Russia’s alleged “illegitimate information gathering.”

“But this is serious. It underlines that we have a very risky situation in our immediate vicinity,” Kristersson stated throughout a press convention on the Karlskrona naval base in southern Sweden.

In Brussels, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg instructed reporters he wouldn’t speculate in regards to the particular incidents, ships or capabilities introduced within the Nordic investigation.

“NATO has addressed threats against undersea infrastructure for many, many years,” Stoltenberg stated. After the explosions incapacitated the Nord Stream fuel pipelines, “we stepped up our presence in the Baltic Sea and the North Sea with ships, planes and other capabilities,” he added.

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Lorne Cook in Brussels contributed to this text.

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