Defence Secretary John Healey has disclosed that the United Kingdom, in collaboration with key allies, conducted a month-long surveillance operation targeting three Russian submarines operating near critical undersea infrastructure in the North Atlantic. The operation concluded with all vessels retreating without causing any verified damage.
Revealed: Month-Long Tracking Operation
Addressing the media at a press conference in Downing Street on Thursday, Mr Healey confirmed that the UK, alongside Norway and other partner nations, responded to what he described as "increased Russian activity" in the Atlantic region north of the UK. This activity occurred while international attention was largely focused on the ongoing Middle East crisis.
The Russian naval presence consisted of three vessels: one Akula-class nuclear-powered attack submarine and two specialist submarines from Russia's Main Directorate of Deep-Sea Research, commonly known as Gugi. These Gugi submarines are part of the defence ministry's deep-sea research programme.
24/7 Monitoring by UK Forces
In response to this potential threat, Mr Healey deployed British armed forces to track and deter any malign activity. "A Royal Navy warship and Royal Air Force P8 aircraft alongside allies ensured that the Russian submarines were monitored 24/7," he stated.
The Defence Secretary explained that the Akula submarine eventually retreated to its home port after being closely tracked throughout the operation. Meanwhile, UK forces continued to monitor the two Gugi submarines operating in and around wider UK waters.
"Our armed forces left them in no doubt that they were being monitored, that their movements were not covert, as President Putin planned, and that their attempted secret operation had been exposed," Mr Healey emphasized.
Warning to Russian President
Directly addressing Russian President Vladimir Putin during his statement, the Defence Secretary issued a clear warning: "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."
Mr Healey suggested the attack submarine likely served as "a decoy to distract us from the Gugi submarines" while they spent considerable time over critical infrastructure relevant to the UK and its allies in the North Atlantic region.
Operation Successfully Concluded
The month-long operation has now concluded, with both Gugi submarines having left UK waters and headed back north. "Because we were watching them, we wanted to ensure that we could warn them that their covert operation had been exposed and reduce the risk that they may attempt any action that could damage our pipelines or our cables," Mr Healey explained.
He added with confidence: "We have no evidence that there has been any damage, but with allies, we're sure that this is now verifiable." The successful monitoring operation demonstrates the UK's capability to protect its critical undersea infrastructure against potential threats in strategically important waters.
