Britain has deployed military vessels to prevent potential attacks on undersea cables and pipelines by Russian submarines, which operated in and around British waters for over a month earlier this year, Defence Minister John Healey announced on Thursday. The UK accused Russia of attempting a covert operation in the High North maritime region, a crucial area for shipping routes and vital infrastructure such as underwater cables, taking advantage of global distractions caused by events in the Middle East.
Healey explained that British forces, alongside allies including Norway, tracked and deterred suspicious activity by the Russian vessels. He confirmed that the submarines have since left the area and there is no evidence of damage to the underwater infrastructure. Speaking at a press conference, Healey emphasized that the operation was revealed publicly to send a clear message to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“To President Putin, I say ‘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,’” Healey stated. He added that British forces made it clear to the Russian submarines that they were being closely monitored and that their movements were no longer covert as originally intended by Moscow.
Russia’s embassy in London did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Moscow has previously denied involvement in several incidents where European countries’ cables were damaged.
Healey detailed that the Russian operation involved an Akula-class attack submarine and two specialized submarines operated by Moscow’s Main Directorate for Deep Sea Research (GUGI), which are designed to inspect underwater infrastructure during peacetime and sabotage it during conflict. Upon detecting the Russian vessels entering international waters, the UK dispatched a frigate, a support tanker, and a maritime patrol aircraft to monitor their movements. Norway also deployed a P-8 maritime patrol aircraft and a frigate to assist in the surveillance.
Healey clarified that the submarines did not enter the UK’s territorial waters but operated within the broader Exclusive Economic Zone around Britain and allied waters. The UK’s naval capabilities have recently come under scrutiny, especially after former US President Donald Trump criticized Britain’s military response in the Middle East, dismissing British aircraft carriers as “toys.” Healey referenced this criticism, explaining that deploying all military assets to that region was not in the UK’s national interest.
“The greatest threats are often unseen and silent. And as demands on defence rise, we must deploy our resources to best effect,” Healey said. Meanwhile, NATO allies have increased their presence in the North Atlantic and Baltic Sea following several outages affecting power cables, telecommunications, and gas pipelines since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Most of these disruptions have been attributed to civilian ships dragging their anchors.
