Russia to Escort Its Ships with Mobile AA Fire Teams

Russia is introducing a system to escort ships flying its flag using mobile anti-aircraft fire teams.

Nikolai Patrushev, an aide to the Russian president and head of the Maritime Board, announced this, Interfax reported.

Patrushev said that Western countries continue to detain ships transporting cargo for Russia. He also claimed that these detentions and inspections are carried out on “far-fetched” grounds.

Mobile AA fire teams are intended to provide a rapid response to attempts to seize or attack vessels at sea.

It is worth noting that Russia has begun placing former mercenaries and intelligence personnel on ships of the so-called “shadow fleet” that transport Russian oil.

In some cases, Russian “security personnel” embedded within the crew may serve as a link between the “shadow fleet” and Russian armed forces, which have increased their presence in the Baltic Sea.

“We see that personnel from private military companies are working on board these ships, including security coordinators. But precisely because these are private companies, they cannot be separated from the state when it comes to Russia,” an intelligence source told SVT.