3 Russian Submarines Detected Near Britain Were Spying, U.K. Says
The New York Times • • general
Key Points:
- The British military tracked Russian efforts for over a month to spy on critical undersea pipelines and telecommunication lines in the northern Atlantic Ocean, as revealed by Defense Secretary John Healey.
- Healey presented photos of Russian vessels involved in covert intelligence gathering and emphasized that British forces, alongside Norway and allies, made it clear that Russian movements were being monitored.
- There was no evidence that Russian submarines engaged in damaging activities, but the UK warned that any attempts to harm the infrastructure would have serious consequences.
- Healey disclosed the operation partly in response to criticism over the UK military's allocation of resources, asserting that protecting unseen and silent threats like undersea infrastructure is in Britain’s national interest.
