Have the Russians ALREADY planted mines on Britain’s ocean cables network? Ministers order urgent check of power and internet lines amid fears Vladimir Putin will ramp up ‘sea-bed warfare’ following last month’s Nord Stream sabotage
Ministers have ordered an urgent survey of undersea power and internet cables amid fears Russia may have already targeted them with mines.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace sent warships to the North Sea this week to deter Kremlin attacks after explosions on key gas pipelines in the Baltic.
Now ministers have also asked the Navy to carry out a survey of critical pipelines and cables in case Russia has already deployed remote mines.
Danish authorities are investigating blasts on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines last month, which have intensified Europe’s energy crisis.
Moscow has denied responsibility for the sabotage, pointing out that it owns the pipelines involved. But Western officials believe the Kremlin is likely to have ordered the attacks as Vladimir Putin tries to weaponise energy supplies in retaliation for sanctions imposed after his invasion of Ukraine.
Ministers have ordered an urgent survey of undersea power and internet cables amid fears Russia may have already targeted them with mines
A government source said: ‘Everyone is watching the Danish investigation very closely. Obviously there is the question of attribution – will they find the evidence to formally point the finger at Russia?
‘But there is also the question of how it was done. Was it a direct attack? Or were mines pre-placed some time in the past and detonated remotely? If it is the latter then it raises questions about where else mines might have been placed.’
They added: ‘We know there has been suspicious Russian submarine activity around our undersea infrastructure for years. So we need to go and have a look. It is a worry because we know that Putin does not obey any conventional norms.’
Mr Wallace told this week’s Conservative Party conference that the ‘mysterious’ damage inflicted on the Nord Stream pipelines should serve as a reminder of how ‘fragile’ UK infrastructure and the economy were given the threat of ‘hybrid attacks’. He added: ‘The Nordic states and ourselves are deeply vulnerable to people doing things on our cables and our pipelines.’
HMS Somerset, a Type 23 frigate with underwater tracking capabilities, was deployed to the North Sea this week as a deterrent to any Russian attack. Survey vessel HMS Enterprise has also been despatched to the area.
There is particular concern about the Langeled pipeline, which carries natural gas from Norway to the UK. Mr Wallace also confirmed plans to purchase two multi-role ocean surveillance ships, one of which will be fast-tracked to come into operation next year. He is said to have told officials that he needs the new capability ‘now’ to deal with the threat of sea-bed warfare from Russia.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace sent warships to the North Sea this week to deter Kremlin attacks after explosions on key gas pipelines in the Baltic
The new vessel will be equipped with underwater drones capable of working in deep seas.
The vulnerability of Britain’s undersea infrastructure has been a concern for years. A 2017 report by the Policy Exchange think-tank found 97 per cent of global communications are transmitted via underwater cables and warned that an attack on them would be an ‘existential threat to the UK’.
It noted that Russia is ‘attracted to hybrid warfare like this because it offers the scope for plausible deniability, involves limited loss of human life, and exploits the grey areas’ in self-defence pacts such as Nato. Russia has invested heavily in sea-bed warfare technology and owns ships and submarines capable of operating mini-subs and robots to work at great depth. Europe previously relied on Russia for about 40 per cent of its gas and now faces a fuel crisis following the Ukraine invasion, which has drastically cut supplies.
Scandinavian authorities are investigating four leaks on the Nord Stream pipelines, which link Russia and Germany via the Baltic Sea.
A Swedish crime scene investigation has found evidence of detonations and prosecutors suspect sabotage.
Yesterday it emerged that Russia’s prime minister, Mikhail Mishustin, had sent a letter to the Swedish government asking for Moscow to be given a role in the investigation. A spokesman for Russia’s foreign ministry said it would insist on a ‘comprehensive and open investigation’ that includes Russian officials and state-controlled gas giant Gazprom.