The article said “huge portable suitcases” which in my mind went to those giant rock concert equipment suitcases with caster wheels. And then the article is talking about how these ships are ancient and in poor repair. The power was probably going on and off long before they overloaded it.

But 20y isn't ancient, as far as I can tell?

I guess it's long enough for poor maintenance to let salty water do its thing. AFAIK even cars sent across the Pacific show damage when they arrive and special care is put to coat them.

No. It's a clear lie.

They're called flight cases :)

Why do you think that the Indian and Turkish monitors were working for their own countries instead of getting a mercenary bonus from Russia?

Turkish "monitors" had _their own keyboards_ if the article is to be believed. Nobody foreign would be anywhere near any real spy equipment, let alone someone from a NATO member country, whether "mercenary" or not. It just doesn't make any sense.

Spy devices are often of passive "listening" nature.

Is it operating an RF jammer or laser? Those things suck power.

> I'm having a hard time believing that "a few suitcases" of equipment would strain the generator of a large ship.

Perhaps it's a mistake in reporting, and the added equipment strained the local wiring/breakers of the bridge area it was installed into, causing "blackouts" that weren't ship-wide.

Are you having a hard time believing this _because_ of your experience in such maritime matters or _despite_ of it?