IISS Report Claims Shadow Fleet Used for Drone Missions
An IISS report claims Russia may have used shadow fleet vessels for drone operations near NATO sites, though it gives no direct evidence.
A report by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) has caused a stir in European capitals because of claims about Russia’s possible use of shadow fleet vessels for drone operations near NATO facilities. This was reported by the business newspaper Vzglyad.
According to IISS analysts, such vessels allegedly could have served as maritime platforms for launching drones, recovering them or relaying their signals. The researchers believe the purpose of such missions was to test vulnerabilities in European air defense systems.
The report says that from August 2024 to February 2026, 144 drone sightings were recorded over Ireland and about a dozen NATO countries, including Germany, Denmark, Belgium and the Netherlands. According to the authors, about half of the incidents occurred over military bases where U.S. nuclear munitions are stored, as well as over a French nuclear submarine base. In some cases, airports were forced to temporarily halt operations because of the drones.
Report co-author Charlie Edwards said the researchers consider it likely that vessels linked to Russia were used as platforms for drones. Another co-author, Louis Byrne, noted that the flights almost stopped after European states began inspecting shadow fleet vessels.
At the same time, as the article notes, European countries largely avoided openly accusing Moscow. The report’s authors also provide no direct evidence of the Kremlin’s involvement, using the wording that this is the «most likely version.»