Three Russian submarines have spent more than a month loitering over critical undersea data cables in the North Atlantic.
This has just been revealed by Britain’s defence secretary John Healey.
He added that they were driven off by Royal Navy warships and RAF surveillance aircraft,
An Akula-class nuclear-powered attack submarine and two specialist spy vessels are believed to have been targeting the fibre-optic cables that carry global telecommunications and financial data.
The spy fleet were tracked throughout the operation, which involved 500 personnel and cooperation with Norway.
The vessels were said to be operating within the UK’s exclusive economic zone but outside territorial waters.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) published satellite images of Russia’s Olenya Guba naval base, where the vessels were docked before departing for UK waters.
The MOD also said that sonobuoys were deployed to deter any damage to the cables and confirmed that no damage was found.
Healey has warned Putin: “We see you, we see your activity over our cables and pipelines – any attempt to damage them will not be tolerated and will have serious consequences.”
The disclosure comes amid broader scrutiny of Royal Navy readiness. There are currently no Type-45 destroyers at sea, with HMS Dragon undergoing maintenance in the Mediterranean weeks after its deployment was announced.
