A key Russian submarine‑detection network relies heavily on Western components, posing a tangible threat to Western naval security.
Russian “Harmony”
Investigators examined the Defence Ministry’s secret project codenamed “Harmony,” a fibre‑optic network linking submarine ports with nuclear‑armed fleets across the Arctic.
Real Threat to the West
The project, initiated in 2014, was originally planned to protect Russia’s northern fleet from U.S. and U.K. nuclear submarines but also tracks and classifies hostile surface vessels for potential combat.
Western Components Dominate Supply
Most assets—undersea cables, acoustic antennas, a six‑kilometre‑depth U.S. sonar, a British underwater robot, and other high‑tech equipment worth nearly $57 million—originate from Germany, the U.S., Japan, and the U.K.
Dual‑Use Goods Raise Legal Concerns
EU law obliges German manufacturers to obtain export licences and certify end‑users. The Harmony supply chain, however, has been deliberately obfuscated to conceal ownership and use.
Cypriot Shell Company at Core
The network centres on Cypriot firm Mostrello Commercial Ltd, controlled by a Russian businessman. Funds from offshore entities in Seychelles, British Virgin Islands, and Belize—from 2013 to 2019—totalled over $22 million.
