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Russian research vessel Akademik Ioffe conducts suspicious movements along the Polish Baltic coast.

In early February 2026, the Russian oceanographic research vessel Akademik Ioffe (IMO 8507731) travelled along Poland’s Baltic coast after passing through the Danish straits, where German and Danish vessels had reportedly monitored its movements. According to Polish reporting, the ship proceeded at unusually low speeds, sometimes approximately six knots, and temporarily disappeared from public AIS tracking for several hours near Darłowo before its signal reappeared. The vessel subsequently continued toward Kaliningrad. PISM included the episode in its assessment of suspicious Russian maritime activity, describing the probable purpose as reconnaissance along the Polish coast. The vessel’s scientific equipment and unusual movement pattern raised concerns about potential intelligence-gathering capabilities. However, public reporting did not establish that it violated Polish territorial waters, surveyed specific underwater infrastructure, or carried out sabotage.

Occurrence

2026-02-11

Publication

2026-02-10

First observed

2026-10-20T10:30:42.945Z

Review status

Not assessed

Countries

PL

Updated

2026-10-20T10:30:42.945Z