Media: French spy ship spotted in Baltic Sea, eyeing Russian moves

The sighting of a well-known French reconnaissance vessel in the Baltic Sea had led to speculations that it is on an assignment from the French Directorate of Military Intelligence (DRM) to gather information on Russia's activity, particularly that of its so-called "shadow fleet".

This conclusion was first suggested by the German Kieler Nachrichten, which reports that the French "Dupuy de Lôme" reconnaissance ship is intended to intercept radio signals and radar related to Russian military activity in the region that of those vessels that are being accused of helping Russia bypass oil sanctions.

According to the report, the 101-meter vessel Dupuy de Lôme has been commissioned to the Baltic Sea for the first time, though the publication notes that no official confirmation on this mission has been published. The ship is being operated by the French Navy and has a range of 6,300 nautical miles (approximately 11,600 kilometres). It can stay at sea for up to 30 days without interruption and can hold a crew of around 100 people, including both military personnel and civilian specialists.

The Dupuy de Lôme was officially commissioned for the Navy’s electromagnetic research. In recent years, the white specialist ship with its distinctive domes has been active around the world after having previously been spotted on reconnaissance missions off the coasts of Taiwan, Syria, and in the Black Sea. For better concealment, the Dupuy de Lôme is operating without an identification signal or hull number.

It is not the first time that France has deployed reconnaissance missions to the Baltic Sea, but previous naval vessels have repeatedly been recognised by Russian radar systems. According to the article, Russia has previously used fire control systems from S-400 surface-to-air missile systems from Kaliningrad on such a French vessel.

By Nazrin Sadigova