Published On 24/10/2025
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Last update: 12:46 (Mecca time)
In an exciting investigative report published by the Washington Post, journalist Greg Miller revealed that Russia was able to secretly obtain advanced Western technology to build an undersea surveillance network with the aim of protecting its fleet of nuclear submarines in the Arctic from detection.
The investigation explained, based on German judicial documents, financial records, and Western intelligence sources, that Russia secretly established an advanced maritime surveillance network known as “Harmony” using highly sensitive technological equipment, which Moscow obtained in special ways from American and European companies through a complex system of fictitious companies.
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According to the press investigation, the “Harmony” network consists of sensors and acoustic meteorological devices planted on the seabed, advanced sonar systems, underwater drones, and fiber-optic cables that transmit data to surface analysis stations.
Monitoring American submarines
The system aims to monitor American submarines as they approach the “fortresses” of the Russian fleet in the Barents Sea, which are areas where Russian submarines carrying intercontinental ballistic missiles take refuge, which represent a fundamental pillar of Russia’s nuclear deterrence capability.
Through this system, Russian submarines can enter and leave their bases in the Arctic without being detected, which makes NATO’s mission more difficult to track them during crises.
The operation was mediated by the company “Mostrello Commercial Limited” registered in Cyprus, which turned out to be a front for the Russian military-industrial complex.
According to the press investigation, financial records show that this company spent tens of millions of dollars on sensitive marine equipment from Western companies, including sonar devices to detect objects under water or in the surrounding environment, and determine their distances and directions, from the American companies “EdgeTech” and “R2Sonic”, and high-speed audio positioning systems from the company Norwegian Kongsberg.
Through Harmony, Russian submarines can enter and exit their Arctic bases undetected, making it more difficult for NATO to track them during crises.
Trial in Germany
Although these companies confirmed their compliance with the laws, it was found that some of the contracts concluded included clauses in the Russian language and addresses of Moscow-based companies, which revealed the extent of the true connection with Russian entities.
The Russian role was revealed during a trial in Germany of Russian citizen Alexander Shnyakin, who was convicted of violating export laws by purchasing sensitive technologies for Mostrello Commercial.
Journalist Miller reported that the German authorities intervened after the CIA warned them in 2021, which subsequently led to raids, arrests, and the imposition of US sanctions on the company and its associated network. When journalists visited the company’s headquarters in Cyprus last September, they found it deserted and in a state of chaos.
The Washington Post stated that it conducted the journalistic investigation within an international investigative project entitled “Russia’s Secrets,” in cooperation with several European and Japanese media institutions, through which it tracked the Mostrello company’s transactions over a decade that included NATO member countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Norway, Italy, and Sweden.
Western failure
Many of the Western companies involved confirmed that they were not aware of the military uses of the equipment, after receiving guarantees that its purpose was civilian or research.
Current and former naval experts and officials say the failure of Western governments and companies to prevent Russia from obtaining such sensitive maritime technology has undermined the security of the United States and its NATO allies.
Meanwhile, defense experts have warned that the Harmony system significantly enhances Russia’s strategic capabilities. The newspaper quoted Brian Clark of the Hudson Institute in Washington, saying that the system allows Russia “to remove its nuclear submarines and enter ports without being detected or intercepted.”
Information indicates that the scope of the network extends east from the city of Murmansk in the far northwest of Russia at the Arctic Circle, and north to the France Joseph Land archipelago, thus forming a defensive barrier that protects the positions of the Russian Northern Fleet from being monitored by Western countries.
The “Harmony” network, which was built with Western technology and complete secrecy, today represents a symbol of the growing challenge facing NATO in the face of the rise of a more advanced Russian military force deep in the Arctic.
The sensors also help Russian submarine commanders know if their submarines are being followed and then perform evasive maneuvers known in naval jargon as “untracking.”
According to the newspaper, this project reveals how Moscow exploited Western innovations to enhance its nuclear deterrence capacity, at a time when export control systems in the West were lagging behind in keeping pace.
Miller’s investigation concludes that the project clearly demonstrates Russia’s ability to exploit legal loopholes and Western inaction to bolster its nuclear power.
The “Harmony” network, which was built with Western technology and complete secrecy, today represents a symbol of the growing challenge facing NATO in the face of the rise of a more advanced Russian military force deep in the Arctic.