NATO allies foil Russian subsea cable sabotage plot: Report
Allied officials said the Russian exercise simulated a weapon to cut undersea cables, and the vessels were stopped before leaving the area.
- Britain, Norway, and the United States confronted Russian vessels near Svalbard this spring, disrupting a covert operation by Moscow's Main Directorate of Deep-Sea Research simulating technology to disable critical undersea cables.
- GUGI utilized deep-sea submersibles to simulate deploying sophisticated technology intended to sever global connectivity in the event of NATO conflict, the officials said.
- Maritime risk analytics firm Windward reported that drifting activity—where ships map subsea infrastructure—jumped 52% in the North Sea and 88% in the South China Sea last year, viewed as preparation for sabotage.
- Norwegian Defence Minister Tore Sandvik said, "Through our joint operation, we sent a clear message to Russia that they cannot operate covertly," warning that infrastructure attacks will face consequences.
- The 400-mile-wide Bear Gap between Svalbard and mainland Norway holds strategic importance for Russian submarines transiting to the Atlantic, while Bruce Jones of the Brookings Institution noted Europe has dramatically shrunk its capacity to protect vital seabed infrastructure.
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66 Articles
NATO Allies Foil Suspected Russian Plot to Sabotage Undersea Cables
This spring, NATO allies detected Russian submarines near the Svalbard archipelago in the Arctic, engaged in a secret operation to use a weapon capable of damaging undersea cables without detection. This operation involved Russia’s GUGI undersea warfare directorate, which utilized deep-sea submersibles to practice deploying this advanced technology. A joint effort by the United Kingdom, […]
Russian mini-submarines are simulating the placement of destructive technology on the seabed off Svalbard, Western officials say.
This spring, NATO allies intercepted Russian submarines in Arctic waters near the Svalbard archipelago, whose crews were practicing how to use a secret weapon designed to take out vital submarine cables.
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