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Russian agent activity and sabotage behind raid in Kiel

Agent activity for the purpose of sabotage and the defense against threats to Germany's critical maritime infrastructure were behind the raid of the ' Scanlark' in Kiel, according to the Flensburg State Criminal Police Office and the Flensburg Public Prosecutor. There was a.o. the suspicion that a drone was launched from the searched ship on Aug 26, 2025, and directed to a naval vessel in order to scout it and take photographs, according to a joint statement from the interior ministries of Schleswig-Holstein and Lower Saxony. According to Lower Saxony's Interior Minister Daniela Behrens, the ship may have served as a base for drone flights over critical infrastructure in northern Germany. The Flensburg public prosecutor's office was leading the investigation. Materials such as radars unusual for merchant ships were found on board that corroborated the suspicion of espionage. Due to the ongoing investigation, the authorities did not disclose the exact role the freighter was supposed to play or the alleged connections to Russia on the afternoon of Sep 8. However, the operation at the lock appeared to have been meticulously planned. A part of the police force initially positioned itself in the area of Kiel-Wik near the canal locks. From there, they drove down to the Kiel Canal and waited behind a screen until the freighter had passed in the direction of the Holtenau Lock. The emergency services then set up a base camp on site for the subsequent search of the ship. Other emergency services were already waiting inconspicuously in civilian clothes at the lock for the freighter's arrival. When it docked at the site, another contingent moved in and boarded the "Scanlark." Police officers inspected the ship for about three hours. The freighter was then briefly ordered out of the lock towards the Kiel Fjord. After a turning maneuver, it returned to the Kiel Canal via the south lock and headed for the Voith Quay. The subsequent search of the ship also found technology used for espionage activities. Investigators believed that at the end of August, the "Scanlark" piloted a drone over a naval vessel to scout it. Since mid-August, the freighter had sailed from Klaipeda, Lithuania, via the Kiel Canal (NOK) to Kiel, Gothenburg, and Rotterdam, where it anchored at two berths before returning to the Kiel Canal, where it remained stationary at the Voyth Quay as of Sep 9. On the night of Dec 15, 2022, the ship ran aground on the beach of Samsø in the Kattegat, en route from Aabenraa to Aarhus,. According to an investigation by the Danish police, the Russian bridge crew may have fallen asleep at the time. In Aug 2023, the ship ran aground again in Danish waters, but was then able to free itself. in Jan 2015, after passing through the Kiel Canal north of Kiel, the ship suffered engine failure and had to drop anchor. The anchor dragged in stormy weather. Tugs from Kiel were called in to assist and pulled the ship to Kiel. In the past, the ship had also been found to have defects in various ports from time to time. Reports with photos and video: https://www.ndr.de/fernsehen/sendungen/schleswig-holstein_magazin/verdacht-auf-spionage-schiff-in-kieler-schleuse-durchsucht,shmag-2660.html https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/regional/schleswigholstein/razzia-an-holtenauer-schleuse-beamten-ermittelt-wegen-gefahrenabwehr,regionkielnews-570.html https://www.noz.de/deutschland-welt/panorama/artikel/spionage-verdacht-spezialkraefte-durchsuchen-frachter-scanlark-49242399 https://www.kn-online.de/schleswig-holstein/frachter-scanlark-razzia-in-kiel-wegen-agenten-und-sabotageverdacht-26PC4YKDVFCEHC4PWHEKICYJGQ.html https://www.sat1regional.de/sabotage-und-gefaehrdung-der-infrastruktur-razzia-auf-frachter-im-nord-ostsee-kanal/

Police stormed cargo ship in Kiel

Police units from Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein stormed the ' Scanlark' in the southern lock of the Kiel Canal in Kiel-Holtenau as a cross-state police operation. The "Scanlark," which was en route from Rotterdam to Fiejo. The ship was stormed by masked police officers immediately after docking in the south chamber at around 3 p.m. The visitor platform at the Holtenau Lock in Kiel closed. The reason for the operation was to avert danger, according to the State Police Office in Kiel. No further details were given. Meanwhile, at the lock, it is suspected that suspicion of sabotage could also be the reason for the action. The visitor platform and access to the lock were closed from 3 p.m. The webcam at the lock was also dimmed on police orders. The measures continued into the evening. Divers were also on site for the search throughout the night. The freighter's berth has been cordoned off. The ship was towed out of the lock and to the Voith Quay of the North Port of Kiel at 6 p.m. After exiting the lock, the south chamber of the lock was reopened to shipping. During the transit from the lock to the Voithkai, the crew members were guarded by special forces from the Lower Saxony police. A rubber dinghy from the Lower Saxony police escorted the freighter along the canal. During the nighttime operation on the freighter, the crew was not allowed to leave the ship. Access to the quay was also sealed off. Divers entered the water and searched the ship's hull. Numerous vehicles were positioned alongside the ship on land. The police cited security measures as the reason for the operation. Further official information was not yet available. The 'Scanlark' remained stationary as of Sep 8. The "Scanlark" operates for the shipping company Vista Shipping Agency in Tallinn, Estonia. According to unconfirmed information, the crew members were all from Russia. The ship has been registered in the Caribbean state of St. Vincent and the Grenadines since 2006 and is a regular visitor to the Kiel Canal. On Dec 15, 200 the ship ran ashore on the island of Samsø at night en route from Aabenraa to Aarhus. According to an investigation by the Danish police, the Russian bridge crew may have fallen asleep at the time. In the past, the ship had been noticed for defects in various ports from time to time. Reports with photos: https://www.kn-online.de/mediabox/kiel/kiel-schleusenkammer-wegen-razzia-gesperrt-S2SSERITDNANPLQIT5KFJ4YTPU.html https://www.kn-online.de/schleswig-holstein/razzia-in-schleuse-in-kiel-was-ist-ueber-frachter-scanlark-bekannt-NLQ5ZXQAFVE7ZNMV3FTH32437M.html https://www.mopo.de/im-norden/schleswig-holstein/razzia-auf-frachtschiff-im-norden-maskierte-polizeikraefte-an-bord/

grounded

Grounded at Samsoe, Denmark. 15.12.22 Picture : https://www.shipspotting.com/photos/3506833?page=1&navList=homePhotoFooter&list=latest×tamp=1671534900