Putin’s shadow fleet used to launch drones to spy on British nuclear and military sites
Russian shadow fleet tankers were used to launch drones over nuclear sites in Britain and across Europe as part of a coordinated Kremlin surveillance campaign, a new report has claimed.
Analysis by the International Institute for Strategic Studies suggests Moscow exploited gaps in Nato’s air defences during a 15-month drone campaign targeting military bases, airports, critical infrastructure and nuclear sites in more than a dozen countries.
The report says RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk, RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and other US air force bases in England were among the sites targeted by drones in late 2024.
RAF Lakenheath was at the time being prepared to host US nuclear weapons, which were later deployed there in July 2025.
The IISS says drones may have been launched from Russia-linked vessels operating in the North Sea, including the Hav Dolphin, a cargo vessel which was travelling towards Hull at the time.
Researchers also linked the campaign to drone sightings over France’s Île Longue submarine base in Brittany, home to the country’s sea-launched nuclear missile arsenal, as well as airbases in Belgium and the Netherlands where US nuclear weapons are stored.
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The report analysed 144 incidents across 13 European countries between August 2024 and February 2026.
On each occasion, researchers said one or more Russian shadow fleet vessels were nearby.
Charlie Edwards, senior fellow for strategy and national security at the IISS and co-author of the report, said the pattern could not be dismissed as coincidence.
“The pattern of sightings across 15 months and 13 countries cannot be explained by misidentification or opportunism alone,” he said.
“Russia has demonstrated, repeatedly and in public, that it can penetrate the airspace of Nato member states — including over nuclear sites — without triggering a collective allied response.
“That gap between capability and political will is now a strategic vulnerability.”
The report concludes it is “highly likely” the Kremlin conducted a coordinated unmanned aerial vehicle campaign across Europe.
It says the operation appears to have been designed to test Nato air defences, gather intelligence on sensitive military sites, map logistics hubs supporting Ukraine, and exert psychological pressure on European governments.
The drones were often spotted flying low over airbases and airports, but none were captured or shot down by western militaries.
One of Russia's most commonly used drones is the Orlan-10 is a medium-range, fixed-wing tactical reconnaissance drone developed by Russia's Special Technology Center that serves as the primary intelligence-gathering workhorse for the Russian military.
Measuring roughly 2 meters long with a 3.1-meter wingspan, this lightweight, gasoline-powered UAV is built with a composite fuselage to minimise its radar signature and can loiter airborne for up to 16 hours. Because it lacks landing gear, it is launched from a portable, folding catapult platform and recovered using an onboard parachute, allowing it to operate from almost any rugged terrain or commercial ship deck.
Rather than carrying offensive weapons, the Orlan-10 is packed with modular payloads, including day/night thermal cameras, radio transmitters, and cellular jammers, and is typically deployed in small teams to conduct electronic warfare, map terrain, and intercept communications.
Its most critical role is serving as the core of Russia's reconnaissance-strike complex, where it flies autonomous waypoint routes to spot target positions and relay real-time coordinates to artillery units, reducing the time it takes to execute a strike down to just three minutes.
In one UK incident, a police helicopter tried to track drones flying into the country but pulled back for safety reasons. The report says using an anti-drone laser was discussed but not taken forward.
Researchers said the incidents exposed a serious weakness in European air defence systems, which were built to deal with conventional military threats rather than small, cheap, low-flying drones launched from ships.
The campaign is also said to have relied on “dark sailing” vessels operating with their transponders switched off.
Some ships may have acted as launch platforms, while others may have been used as recovery vessels or signal repeaters.
The IISS said Russia appears to have adapted techniques learned from the war in Ukraine, where drones are now central to battlefield reconnaissance, targeting and psychological warfare.
Mr Edwards described the campaign as “a series of tactical successes for the Kremlin” and “a strategic failure of allied defences”.
Other incidents examined by the report include drone sightings over Denmark in September 2025, which forced the closure of Copenhagen airport and other airports in the country.
Four shadow fleet tankers were sailing near Denmark at the time, including the Boracay, which was seized by French commandos four days later.
The tanker was later released, but the boarding reportedly found a Chinese captain and two Russian nationals employed by the Moran Security Group, a Russian private military company.
The IISS said that discovery confirmed the “militarisation of shadow fleet tankers” as an operational practice rather than just a theory.
The report suggests the campaign may have been orchestrated by the GRU, Russia’s military intelligence agency.
It also cites an incident off Ireland in December 2025, on the evening after Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s first state visit to the country.
Four drones were reportedly seen flying over the Irish naval ship LÉ William Butler Yeats before heading towards the Irish coast.
At the time, the Maltese-flagged Vezhen was said to be loitering around 37 miles away. Another vessel was also visible on satellite imagery in the Irish Sea, but had its transponder switched off.
The Vezhen had previously been detained by Swedish authorities in connection with damage to an undersea fibre-optic cable, though it was later released after the incident was deemed accidental.
Several types of drone may have been used in the campaign, although none has been confirmed.
The report points to systems similar to the Russian Orlan-10, a reconnaissance drone with a range of around 300 miles and an endurance of about 12 hours.
That would allow drones to be launched from vessels well offshore and still reach sensitive military targets inland.
The IISS said European governments had been reluctant to publicly blame Russia for the incursions, despite private concern among officials.
Mr Edwards said “every government we spoke to said they would welcome the report being published”.
Nato said it was working to understand emerging threats, including drones launched from ships.
A spokesman for Nato’s Allied Maritime Command said: “Our message to any actor considering malign activity is clear: Allies are watching everything that occurs in the maritime domain, and we have the capabilities to respond, whether that involves attempts to sabotage critical undersea infrastructure or drones launched from maritime platforms.
“We remain vigilant.”
The report says significant drone sightings across Europe peaked in September and November last year, with the highest number recorded in Germany.
The number of incidents appears to have fallen since European navies began seizing shadow fleet vessels in 2026.
But the findings will add to growing concern that Russia is using grey-zone tactics to probe Europe’s defences below the threshold of open war.
The same shadow fleet accused of helping Moscow dodge oil sanctions is now alleged to have been used as a floating intelligence platform around Nato’s most sensitive sites.