Overview
- The UK disclosed Thursday it had tracked for about a month an Akula-class attack submarine and two GUGI spy subs near North Atlantic cables and pipelines before the vessels withdrew.
- The operation used HMS St Albans, RFA Tidespring, Merlin helicopters, and RAF P-8 patrol planes, with sonobuoys and support from Norway sustaining contact around the clock.
- Officials said the Akula likely served as a decoy while the GUGI boats lingered over critical infrastructure in the UK exclusive economic zone rather than inside territorial waters.
- Defence Secretary John Healey reported no evidence of damage and warned Putin of “serious consequences” for any attempt to harm seabed links, as Russia issued a public denial.
- GUGI specializes in deep-sea operations that can map or sabotage cables, which handle over 99% of cross‑border data, and the episode is sharpening debate over UK naval capacity and funding.