UK Says It Thwarted Covert Russian Submarine Operation Near Undersea Cables

Overview

• Britain disclosed Thursday that its forces tracked for about a month an Akula attack submarine and two GUGI deep-sea vessels operating near cables and pipelines around UK waters.
• Officials said Norway and other partners used ships and aircraft to follow the submarines until they left the area, and they reported no damage to subsea infrastructure.
• Defence Secretary John Healey said any attempt to harm undersea links would bring serious consequences and he told Vladimir Putin that the activity had been seen.
• The Kremlin, pressed on reports of Russian naval escorts for sanctioned tankers through the English Channel, said Russia will protect its shipping and accused others of piracy.
• Subsea cables carry most transatlantic internet and financial data, and pipelines move energy, so mapping or tampering at depth can disrupt communications, markets, and power supplies.