UK foiled Russia submarines threats on undersea web and vitality cables
UK armed forces were deployed to track and deter ‘malign activity’ by Russian submarines in a massive month-long operation, Defence Secretary John Healey has announced
Defence Secretary John Healey has announced UK armed forces tracked Russian submarines(Image: PA)
UK armed forces were deployed to track and deter “malign activity” by Russian submarines in a massive month-long operation, Defence Secretary John Healey has announced.
UK and allies monitored a Russian attack submarine and two spy submarines in the North Atlantic for a month before they retreated.
Keir Starmer said the UK “will not shy away from taking action” against Russia. And in a direct message to Vladimir Putin, Mr Healey said: “We see you. We see your activity over our cables and our pipelines and you should know that any attempt to damage them will not be tolerated and will have serious consequences.”
An undersea network of cables and pipelines are vital to the UK, carrying 99% of international telecoms and data traffic, as well as half the gas that heats our homes. This underpins global banking, trade, and communications. There is no evidence any damage has been done to the cables or pipelines.
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British aircraft and warships identified a Russian attack submarine entering international waters in the High North several weeks ago and tracked its activity around the clock.
Service personnel quickly established that the submarine was deployed as a distraction and the UK worked closely with allies – including Norway – to identify and monitor other Russian undersea naval units conducting “nefarious activity over critical undersea infrastructure elsewhere”, the Ministry of Defence said.
Britain’s military operation lasted more than a month and has now concluded. More than 5,000 British personnel were involved in the response.
Russia’s vessels were from the Main Directorate of Deep Sea Research (known as GUGI), a secretive Russian agency that operates a number of specialised submarines.
British defences were previously tested by GUGI when the Russian spy ship Yantar sailed near UK waters last year. The ship was tracked by a Royal Navy frigate and RAF P8s, with lasers being directed at British pilots.
The Prime Minister said: “I am determined to protect the British people from paying the price for Putin’s aggression in their household bills. That is why we will not shy away from taking action and exposing Russia’s destabilising activity that seeks to test our resolve.
“Our Armed Forces are among the best in the world, and the British public should be in no doubt that this government will do whatever it takes to defend our national and economic security, wherever in the world that is needed.”
Mr Healey: “Our armed forces left them in no doubt that they were being monitored, that their movements were not covert, as President Putin planned, and that their attempted secret operation had been exposed.“Those GUGI submarines have now left UK waters and headed back north.”
The UK is also stepping up on its commitment to protect our critical underwater infrastructure. This includes an additional £100million to support our vital P8 submarine hunting aircraft.
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