“Z” formation in the Black Sea
London: Russian propagandists manipulated navigation data
05/25/2023, 11:17 am
Pro-Russian activists are said to have manipulated navigation data to give the impression that a formation in the form of a propaganda symbol had formed in the Black Sea. This is supposed to boost the morale of the Russian soldiers.
According to British intelligence experts, supporters of Russia in the war against Ukraine have manipulated maritime navigation data for propaganda purposes. An analysis by the company Geollect suggests this, according to the daily intelligence report from the Ministry of Defense in London. Accordingly, signals were transmitted to the Automatic Identification System (AIS), which gave the impression that a 65-kilometer formation of watercraft in the shape of the letter Z had formed in the Black Sea. The letter is used as a propaganda symbol by the Russian military and supporters.
The fact that the data was not real can be seen, among other things, from the fact that they suggested that the ships were traveling at a speed of up to 102 knots (188 kilometers per hour), the British said in a statement. Behind the action are probably pro-Russian activists who wanted to raise Russian morale before the expected counter-offensive by the Ukrainian army.
The British experts warned that the manipulation of AIS data increases the risk of maritime accidents. Ships and boats usually use it to pass on their location in order to avoid collisions. The Russian Black Sea Fleet is still vulnerable, it said. So there was probably an attack on a Russian spy ship on May 24th.
The Ministry of Defense in London has been publishing daily information on the course of the war since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, citing intelligence information. Moscow accuses London of a disinformation campaign.