Why a decades-old spy tactic has been thrust into Europe’s limelight

EuroNews · 🇫🇷 public France · Aug 19, 2026 · 1075 words · By Angela Skujins

Hybrid Warfare EU-Russia Relations Maritime Security

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What to know about Hybrid Warfare

The European Union sanctioned two fishing companies in 2025 for allegedly participating in Russia’s surveillance and sabotage apparatus.

Claims checked 11

Techniques found 2

Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left20%

Center60%

Right20%

5 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

The European Union sanctioned two fishing companies in 2025 for allegedly participating in Russia’s surveillance and sabotage apparatus.

Why it matters

Experts warn more of these ships are wading in Europe’s waters.

Common ground

Two fishing companies — Norebo JSC and Murman Sea Food — were placed on Brussels’ blacklist in May 2025.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Euphemism: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

Follow-up questions

What new context would change how readers understand this Hybrid Warfare story?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that As part of the package of measures, the EU banned Russian-flagged vessels from accessing its ports, subject to certain derogations?
How does this story connect Hybrid Warfare with EU-Russia Relations over the next few days?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/08/19/there-is-no-fish-the-russian-vesse…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 2 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning

Loaded Language 80% confidence

Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.

Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

warning

Euphemism 90% confidence

Using mild or indirect language to obscure the severity or nature of something.

Why it matters: Recognizing euphemism helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 11 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 5

info Single Source 3

help Insufficient Evidence 2

schedule Pending 1

schedule

Claim 1: “As part of the package of measures, the EU banned Russian-flagged vessels from accessing its ports, subject to certain derogations.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 2: “Following a major cable-cutting incident at the end of 2025, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte acknowledged a “concerted campaign” of hybrid warfare was afoot in the Baltic Sea”

SINGLE SOURCE

The claim regarding Mark Rutte's acknowledgment of a 'concerted campaign' following a cable-cutting incident at the end of 2025 is reported by Euronews, but not corroborated by other independent sources in the provided evidence.

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web search NEUTRAL — Following a major cable-cutting incident at the end of 2025, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte acknowledged a "concerted campaign" of hybrid warfare was afoot in the Baltic Sea and pledged more suppor…
https://sg.news.yahoo.com/no-fish-russian-vessels-raising-05…

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web search NEUTRAL — Mark Rutte (Photo: Hannibal Hanschke/EPA). NATO is taking "very seriously" the incident with the jamming of the GPS signal during the landing in Bulgaria of a plane with the head of the European Commi…
https://news.liga.net/en/politics/news/this-is-taken-very-se…

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web search NEUTRAL — NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has delivered a forceful message of solidarity with Germany following what he described as Russia’s “reckless hybrid attack” in Leipzig.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrmzniIBLV8

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Claim 3: “Two fishing companies — Norebo JSC and Murman Sea Food — were placed on Brussels’ blacklist in May 2025.”

CORROBORATED

Web search results explicitly name Norebo JSC and Murman Sea Food as the companies sanctioned by the EU for state-sponsored surveillance.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Being part of the Kingdom of Denmark, the foreign relations of the Faroe Islands are handled by the government of the Faroe Islands in conjunction with the Danish government. Unlike Denmark, the Faroe…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign_relations_of_the_Faroe…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Apr 12, 2023 · Gimme your protein smoothie recipes! Hi folks! I've been on 1550 cals a day for a while, but I'm starting to struggle more with hunger than I have in the past, and I'm taking it as a si…
https://www.reddit.com/r/loseit/comments/12j8d6e/gimme_your_…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Just moved into your first apartment and don't know a thing about cooking or have lived on your own for years and have existed on take out and fast food? Then this is the sub for you! Learn how to coo…
https://www.reddit.com/r/cookingforbeginners/

+ 1 more evidence source

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Claim 4: “The European Union sanctioned two fishing companies in 2025 for allegedly participating in Russia’s surveillance and sabotage apparatus.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple independent web sources confirm that the EU sanctioned two Russian fishing companies in 2025 for involvement in surveillance and sabotage operations against critical infrastructure.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Russia–European Union relations are the international relations between the European Union (EU) and Russia. Russia borders five EU member states: Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland; the Ru…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russia–European_Union_relation…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2025–26 UEFA Champions League was the 71st season of Europe's premier club football tournament organised by UEFA, and the 34th season since it was rebranded from the European Cup to the UEFA Champ…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025–26_UEFA_Champions_League

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Armenia has initiated the process of joining the European Union as a member state. On 12 March 2024, the European Parliament passed a resolution noting that Armenia could apply for membership if it me…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accession_of_Armenia_to_the_Eu…

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 5: “Six weeks after Russia started its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the EU passed its fifth sanctions package against the Kremlin.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided in the search results regarding the timing of the EU's fifth sanctions package relative to the invasion of Ukraine.

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Claim 6: “The Russians are carrying out a program... It's called the Russian Undersea Research Program”

CORROBORATED

Both Euronews and other web sources explicitly mention the 'Russian Undersea Research Program' as a paramilitary structure used to map cables and pipelines.

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web search NEUTRAL — “It's called the Russian Undersea Research Program, which is a euphemism for a paramilitary structure, very well-funded, that is mapping out all of our cables and our energy pipelines.”
https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/08/19/there-is-no-fi…

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web search NEUTRAL — Russia has reportedly been running a long-standing programme, known as the Russian Undersea Research Programme, which maps cables and energy pipelines using research ships, submarines and remotely ope…
https://hmintelligence.org/uk-norway-patrols-target-russian-…

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web search NEUTRAL — The alleged operation involved Russia’s Main Directorate for Deep Sea Research, known as GUGI, a secretive military organization specializing in deep-sea operations. The alleged Russian operation adds…
https://dailycallernewsfoundation.org/2026/09/13/russias-und…

info

Claim 7: “Russian intelligence-gathering activities on these fishing vessels have steadily increased since the country’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine”

SINGLE SOURCE

The evidence mentions an increase in Russian vessels seeking shelter in Norwegian fjords since 2022, but the specific claim that intelligence-gathering activities on fishing vessels have 'steadily increased' is not corroborated by multiple independent sources in the provided set.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — From 2022 - the year Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine - until March this year, 131 Russian vessels requested and were granted shelter in Norwegian fjords, mainly in the northern regi…
https://thebarentsobserver-com.nproxy.org/news/russian-vesse…

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web search NEUTRAL — Russian forces have struck several industrial facilities across Ukraine, as Moscow continues its targeted campaign against Kyiv’s manufacturing infrastructure. Russian attacks on 10 Ukrainian regions …
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/12/russia-strikes-carg…

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web search NEUTRAL — Since Russian President Vladimir Putin’s February 2022 invasion, an estimated 55,000 Ukrainian soldiers have died, at least 16,874 Ukrainian civilians have been killed. Follow us on Google. Ukranian P…
https://www.jpost.com/influencers-26/50jews-26/article-90809…

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Claim 8: “95% of internet traffic that is secured through undersea cables.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was provided in the search results to confirm or deny the percentage of internet traffic secured through undersea cables.

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Claim 9: “Following Brussels' lead, Norway sanctioned the two businesses months later”

CORROBORATED

The official Norwegian government site (regjeringen.no) and Euronews confirm that Norway followed the EU's lead in sanctioning Norebo JSC and Murman Seafood.

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travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The EU listed both Norebo and Murman Seafood, the two largest Russian fishing companies which harvests in the Barents and Norwegian Seas. According to Brussel’s 17th sanction package...
https://www.thebarentsobserver.com/news/norway-kicks-out-nor…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The Norwegian government has decided to list two Russian fishing companies Norebo JSC and Murman Seafood.This sanctions framework was established in October 2024 with a focus on Russian hybrid activit…
https://www.regjeringen.no/en/aktuelt/norway-aligns-with-eus…

+ 1 more evidence source

info

Claim 10: “In 1940, you had German soldiers dressing as civilians on fishing vessels entering Oslo the day before the full-scale invasion.”

SINGLE SOURCE

While Wikipedia and web results confirm the 1940 German invasion of Norway and the Battle of Oslo, the specific detail about soldiers dressing as civilians on fishing vessels the day before the invasion is not explicitly corroborated across multiple independent historical records in the provided evidence.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Norwegian campaign (8 April – 10 June 1940) involved the attempt by Allied forces to defend northern Norway coupled with the Norwegian military's resistance to the country's invasion by Nazi Germa…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norwegian_campaign

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Oslo Report was one of the most spectacular leaks in the history of military intelligence. Written by German mathematician and physicist Hans Ferdinand Mayer on 1 and 2 November 1939 during a busi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oslo_Report

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Battle of Oslo (Norwegian: Blücher) is a 2025 Norwegian historical–war thriller film directed by Daniel Fahre. The film is set during the Battle of Drøbak Sound, part of the German invasion of No…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Battle_of_Oslo

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 11: “European Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans Costas Kadis acknowledged that the Kremlin was conducting intelligence-gathering operations using trawlers.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources, including Caliber.Az and European Commission profiles, identify Costas Kadis as the Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans and attribute the statement regarding Russian trawlers to him.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Hadja Lahbib (French pronunciation: [adʒa labib]; born 21 June 1970) is a Belgian journalist, television presenter, director and politician, who has been serving as the European Commissioner for Prepa…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hadja_Lahbib

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Maroš Šefčovič (born 24 July 1966) is a Slovak diplomat and politician serving as European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security; Interinstitutional Relations and Transparency (2024–2029) in th…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maroš_Šefčovič

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The second von der Leyen Commission is the current European Commission, in office since 1 December 2024. It consists of one commissioner from each of the member states of the European Union – includin…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Von_der_Leyen_Commission_II

+ 3 more evidence sources

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.