On a November day in 2022, Danish journalist Niels finds himself in a small rubber boat out at sea between Denmark and Sweden. He is chasing a potential Russian spy ship. Upon locating it, he spots a crew member with an assault rifle around his neck, staring directly at him. This hunt for the potential spy ship is part of a yearlong investigation. Since Russia's full scale invastion of Ukraine, a group of Nordic journalists have been digging ever deeper into a murky world of Russian spying, seabed warfare and disinformation. This podcast series will end up revealing evidence of what experts call a complex hybrid war, which is already playing out in the Nordic countries and in the waters surrounding them. Cold Front is a series produced by DR Documentary. Written and directed by Merle Baeré and Frederik Hugo Ledegaard Thim. The story was researched together with Niels Fastrup, Lisbeth Quass, Inghild Eriksen, Håvard Gulldahl, Maria Georgieva and Ali Fegan. Script consulting and narration by Tim Hinman. Music, sound design and mixing by Mikkel Rønnau and Marie Kildebæk. Editorial assistant Anna Brage Stevens. Senior producer and editor Jens Vithner. This podcastseries is a part of a collaboration between DR, NRK, SVT and Yle.
The Cold Front podcast is an absolute must-listen for anyone who appreciates sea stories and is intrigued by the mysteries of the maritime world. Whether you're a seasoned sea faring expert or simply enjoy diving into captivating tales, this podcast will surely immerse you in its compelling narratives. With its credible storytelling and prescient analysis, The Cold Front stands as one of my all-time favorite series. Reminiscent of Bellingcat's investigative approach, the hosts refrain from drawing conclusions but instead meticulously organize the evidence to create a striking and likely depiction of what transpired. This treasure trove of a podcast pulls together various stories that may have only been heard in bits and pieces through news snippets, providing both informative background and sheer entertainment value.
One of the best aspects of The Cold Front is how it excels at providing thorough background information and seamlessly tying together numerous narratives. Each episode delves into different events or incidents related to the sea, carefully presenting historical context and weaving together interconnected stories. This meticulous approach ensures that listeners not only gain a deep understanding of each subject matter but also uncover surprising connections they may have otherwise missed. The research behind this podcast is truly commendable, as it uncovers lesser-known details that enrich the narratives and keep listeners engaged.
While it's difficult to find any major flaws, one aspect that could potentially be improved upon is the pacing of certain episodes. Although most episodes are gripping from start to finish, there are occasional segments that feel slightly slower in comparison. However, these instances are rare and do not significantly detract from the overall quality of the podcast.
In conclusion, The Cold Front podcast delivers an exceptional experience for sea lovers seeking captivating stories grounded in credibility. It skillfully organizes evidence without drawing premature conclusions, allowing listeners to form their own opinions based on presented facts. Furthermore, this series goes above and beyond by providing comprehensive background information and interconnecting various narratives. With its informative yet entertaining style, The Cold Front has undoubtedly earned its place as one of the most enjoyable and enlightening podcasts in the sea storytelling genre.
In this bonus episode of Cold Front, we talk to the foreign correspondent at the Guardian Luke Harding. He will comment on some of the biggest revelations presented in this podcast series, and he will tell about his experiences with the Russian intelligence service FSB.
Out in the sea between Sweden and Denmark, Niels is chasing a Russian spy ship. And what he soon realises is, that the ship has been sailing close to several windfarms. Apparently mapping out critical infrastructure.
In Sweden a famous Chechen-blogger, Tumso Abdurakhmanov, is attacked with a hammer while he is asleep. The attack turns out to be part of a much bigger story about how Russian services have been given a mandate to kill.
In the midst of a diplomatic crisis a forged letter appears online. It turns out that it was made to create conflict between Denmark, the US and Greenland. But who made it?
Niels is in a small house at the countryside somewhere in the UK. He is here to meet up with a source, who claims to know something about suspicious activity at sea very close to the locations that later become the Nord Stream explosion sites. The source also claims that no one else is aware of this information. Now he's willing to share it with the team.
In a hotel by a lake, Niels, Maria and Ali meet up with a source from the organization Dossier Center who is able to help them name possible Russian spies. This will lead them to a story about how a scientist in Denmark was recruited by a Russian intelligence officers - and exactly what he was tasked to spy on.
Dressed in unobtrusive dark clothes, the Swedish journalists Ali and Maria drive towards a secret location to meet with a source. This source will hand the team one of their first major leads - a list with names on suspected Russian intelligence officers on the Russian embassy in Sweden. In Norway the team starts to look into two mysterious and still unsolved cable cuts at the bottom of the sea in the north of Norway.
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