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Britain deployed military ships to prevent attacks on cables and pipelines by Russian submarines that were in and around British waters for more than a month earlier this year, Defense Secretary John Healey said on Thursday.
Britain accused Russia of using the distraction of events in the Middle East to try to carry out the covert operation in the Far North maritime region, home to key shipping routes and critical infrastructure such as submarine cables.
Healey said British forces and allies, including Norway, had tracked and deterred malicious activity by the Russian ships, adding that the submarines had now left the area and there were no signs of damage to underwater infrastructure.
Healey publicly revealed the operation at a news conference, saying the intention was to show Russian President Vladimir Putin that the activity had been discovered.
“To President Putin I say: ‘We see you. We see your activities 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,'” he said.
“Our armed forces left no doubt that they were being monitored, that their movements were not covert as President Putin had planned, and that their attempted covert operation had been exposed.”
The Russian Embassy in London said Healey’s statement was “neither to be believed nor verified.”
“Russia does not threaten underwater infrastructure that is critical to the UK. Nor do we use aggressive rhetoric in this regard,” the embassy said in a statement.
Moscow has previously denied allegations that it was involved in a series of incidents in which European countries’ cables were damaged.
Warship, patrol aircraft sent
Healey said the Russian operation involved a Russian Akula-class attack submarine and two special-purpose submarines from Moscow’s Main Directorate of Deep Sea Research (GUGI).
Investments are being made across Europe to strengthen its defense capabilities in the face of increasing Russian aggression and an uneasy defense alliance with the United States. Andrew Chang examines the steps Europe is taking to deter a possible Russian attack. Images provided by The Canadian Press, Reuters and Getty Images
“They are designed to monitor undersea infrastructure in peacetime and sabotage it in conflict,” Healey said.
After Britain discovered the Russian ships were heading into international waters, it dispatched a frigate, a support tanker and a maritime patrol aircraft to monitor their movements.
The Norwegian Defense Ministry said its forces had also deployed a P-8 maritime patrol aircraft and a frigate.
Healey said the submarines did not enter Britain’s territorial waters but were in the broader band of sea around the country, the so-called “exclusive economic zone,” and in the waters of British allies.
Britain’s naval capacity has come under scrutiny in recent weeks after US President Donald Trump criticized Britain’s response to the Iran war. Description of British aircraft carriers as a “toy”.
Healey referred to this criticism in his statementand said it was not in Britain’s national interest to deploy all of its military assets in the region.
“The biggest threats are often invisible and silent. And as defense demands increase, we must make the best use of our resources,” he said.
NATO allies have increased their presence in the North Atlantic and the Baltic Seaafter a series of power cable, telecommunications and gas pipeline failures since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. Most of these were caused by civilian ships dragging their anchors.
