The European Union imposed sanctions on two Russian fishing companies, Norebo JSC and Murman Sea Food, in 2025. The decision to blacklist these firms was taken by Brussels in May of that year. Although they are fishing companies, the reason for the punitive measures was not their commercial fishing activities, but suspicions that they are part of a wider state-sponsored Russian surveillance campaign.
According to European institutions, these companies are allegedly involved in a Russian surveillance and sabotage system. As part of this campaign, alongside espionage missions, actions aimed at damaging critical infrastructure were carried out, including damage to undersea cables. European Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans Costas Kadis confirmed that the Kremlin conducts intelligence-gathering operations using trawlers as cover.
Kadis told the Financial Times in May that Russia is engaged in illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. At the same time, he stressed that Russian activities go beyond breaching fishing rules and include espionage, mapping of critical infrastructure and sabotage. Norebo JSC has denied both accusations of involvement in these activities.
Experts told Euronews that there are numerous vessels linked to the Kremlin that pretend to catch cod or crabs. These vessels sail near European coasts but are actually collecting intelligence and damaging key undersea infrastructure. Such activities endanger the security of the European Union.
