The Dossier Center and its international reporting partners identified 28 passengers whose personal details showed signs of possible cover identities in the records of seven Russian cargo vessels. The ships were involved in transporting military equipment, including supplies intended for Russia's Africa Corps.
The investigation was published on October 19 in collaboration with Follow the Money, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Danwatch, and Delfi.
Journalists examined ship records, passport details, commercial databases, and vessel routes. They found that certain combinations of passengers' full names and dates of birth could not be traced in other available sources, while their passport series and numbers displayed unusual characteristics.
Security experts and sources in European intelligence services consulted by the journalists suggested that some documents may have been specially issued to conceal the passengers' true identities.
One of the vessels examined, the cargo ship Sabetta, arrived at the Guinean port of Conakry in March 2026. According to the investigators, it delivered approximately 50 vehicles, including armored vehicles and fuel trucks. The equipment was subsequently sent to Mali, where Russia's Africa Corps operates.
Four passengers aboard the Sabetta were listed under suspicious personal details. Across the investigation, such passengers were found aboard three roll-on/roll-off vessels and four dry cargo ships transporting military supplies.
The investigators' sources suggested that the unidentified passengers may have been responsible for escorting military equipment, securing shipments, or supervising crews. However, their real identities and institutional affiliations could not be established conclusively.
The investigation therefore uncovered indications that cover documents were used during Russian military shipments, but it does not prove that all 28 individuals were intelligence officers.
Russia's Defense Ministry and the companies associated with operating the vessels did not respond to the journalists' inquiries.
Original source: The Dossier Center, "Ghosts on Board".