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Russian fishing vessels linked to espionage

The two Russian fishing vessels 'Lira' and 'Ester, that have docked in ports on the Faroe Islands for years, have been revealed to have military radio equipment on board. The ships are now being linked to espionage, and Danish politicians are demanding intervention. The two fishing vessels were revealed in connection with a routine check in Kirkenes, when the ships arrived from the Faroe Islands. Here the police found military radios, which according to the head of the Police Security Service (PST) in Finnmark in Northern Norway, Johan Roaldsnes, are a military capability for Russia. The radios can broadcast military messages and information and receive them the other way. From 2015 to 2022, the two vessels have docked in Faroese ports more than 200 times and, according to the former head of the Navy, Rear Admiral Nils Wang, their presence constitutes a threat to the Faroe Islands and thus to the Commonwealth of Nations. The Faroe Islands, like other countries, have banned Russian ship calls with the exception of fishing vessels, as the Faroe Islands continue to adhere to their fishing agreement with Russia. In Denmark, several politicians are outraged by the disclosure of military equipment on board the fishing vessels and demanded to put an end to it immediately.