Defence Secretary John Healey has revealed that a Royal Navy warship and aircraft tracked and monitored Russian submarines attempting to survey vital undersea infrastructure in the North Atlantic, forcing them to abandon their activity. Speaking at a Downing Street press conference, Healey said the UK operation lasted over a month and involved a Royal Navy warship and a P8 marine patrol aircraft tracking three Russian submarines.
Healey declined to specify the exact location but stated that the incident did not occur in UK territorial waters, rather in the exclusive economic zone extending up to 200 nautical miles from the UK coastline. The submarines included an Akula-class nuclear-powered vessel and two deep-sea submarines from Russia's Directorate for Deep Sea Research (Gugi). The Russian action took place while global attention was focused on the Middle East due to the US-Israeli attack on Iran.
Healey emphasised that there was no evidence of damage to pipelines or cables, but UK forces and allies would verify this. He stated, 'We see you. We see your activity over our cables and our pipelines, and you should know that any attempt to damage them will not be tolerated and will have serious consequences.'
The operation involved 24/7 monitoring, with sonar buoys dropped regularly to demonstrate that the Russians' covert operation had been exposed. The Akula submarine subsequently retreated home, and the two Gugi submarines have now left UK waters, heading back north. Healey described this as a demonstration of the UK's capability to detect, deter, and respond to protect vital undersea infrastructure.
Healey noted that the Russian operation underscores why the government views Moscow as the primary threat to the UK and NATO. The Ministry of Defence stated that Gugi has specialist vessels used to survey underwater infrastructure during peacetime but could damage or destroy vital links during a conflict. Healey avoided commenting on US President Donald Trump's remarks about European NATO contributions or whether the US attack on Iran aided Putin, but reaffirmed US commitment to NATO based on conversations with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.
