Hunting the Shadow Fleet
Covering Ukraine, the war felt distant at sea until it wasn’t: a Russian “research” ship in the Baltic, crew members photographing from the deck, and hours earlier a German submarine with Israeli personnel nearby. Supply, intelligence, and deterrence meet in one narrow, crowded stretch of water.
THE BACKSTORY
Tracking Russia’s Shadow Ships in the Baltic Sea
ISSUE 8
I was down in the engine room right before the whole departure process kicked off. These guys were getting everything ready, and I kept out of their way but made sure to show how I work, figuring this is just the first step to earning more access later.
From the bridge, as we left port, I saw the crew standing on deck, a really romantic image. Of the sailors saying goodbye to their home port before leaving on mission for a week. Stuck together in small spaces. I was so excited. It's been a while since I had been on a ship.
For me, it was important to find visual elements that convey searching. Radars, maps, and screens became central. The green lighting mattered too. It signalled who we were with, but also turned the ship into a command centre, a place of constant observation.
I was hoping to get out on the speedboat to capture some action on the water. The moment finally came and I could spend time with younger police officers in training, practising movement along the ship in slightly rough seas, which made the exercise realistic and demanding.
I used the opportunity to photograph the ship from the water, letting the spray from the speedboat add movement. I got completely soaked, the camera too. I only took the SL2. Sometimes you have to accept the risk, even if you do everything to avoid losing a camera.
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