This spring, in the deep waters of the Arctic near the remote Svalbard archipelago, NATO allies discovered that Russian submarines were training to deploy a secret weapon designed to disable critical undersea cables without leaving any trace. Reuters reports, UNN writes.
Details
According to the publication, citing sources, the operation was carried out by Russia’s Main Directorate of Deep-Sea Research (GUGI), using deep-sea submersibles to simulate the deployment of this technology. British, Norwegian, and U.S. forces tracked the Russian vessels and prevented them from completing the exercise.
A joint operation involving the United Kingdom, Norway, and the United States tracked and confronted the Russian vessels at sea, two officials said on condition of anonymity. The Russian vessels were prevented from completing the exercise and eventually left the area.
In April, the United Kingdom and Norway said they had detected a covert Russian operation in Arctic waters. However, the discovery of a new weapon, the location of the operation, and U.S. involvement had not previously been reported.
This confrontation in the deep-sea zone took place at a time when some Western intelligence officials fear that the Kremlin is intensifying sabotage operations in Europe and preparing for a conflict with NATO.
Some U.S. intelligence analysts are increasingly concerned that Russia could test NATO’s mutual defense treaty, known as Article 5, three U.S. officials said. If that happens, destroying undersea cables could become an important part of such actions, Western officials said.
Cables no thicker than a garden hose, lying on the seabed or buried directly beneath it, are critically important for global internet communications and financial operations. Their economic and strategic importance has made them targets during past conflicts, including the First and Second World Wars, when they played a key role in transmitting orders by telegraph or telephone.
Two 1,400-kilometer-long undersea fiber-optic cables connecting Svalbard with mainland Norway lie at depths of up to 2,700 meters below the sea surface. They transmit vast amounts of satellite data uploaded at the SvalSat ground satellite station—the largest in the world, which is part of NASA’s Near Space Network.
Russia’s Ministry of Defense did not respond to a request for comment on the incident. The Kremlin consistently denies conducting sabotage operations in NATO countries or preparing for any confrontation.
Additional information
NATO and its allies have strengthened the protection of undersea infrastructure in recent years following the sabotage of Nord Stream and other cases of cable damage. Particular concern is caused by the activities of vessels that pass slowly over or near undersea infrastructure, mapping its location.
Experts consider large-scale mapping to be potential preparation for sabotage, although surveying infrastructure in international waters is not illegal in itself. NATO already has the Baltic Sentry and Nordic Warden initiatives aimed at strengthening patrols of critical infrastructure. According to experts, Russia and China are currently among the most active and dangerous undersea threats, while Europe remains insufficiently protected against possible attacks on undersea infrastructure.