UK discovers Russian spy sensors for submarine tracking in its waters, Times says
www.pravda.com.ua
Sun, 06 Apr 2025 15:33:50 +0300
The UK military has recently uncovered spy sensors in the sea around Britain.
These devices are believed to have been installed by Russia to track the movements of the UK nuclear submarines.
Source an article by the Times, citing months of discussions with the military and former defence ministers about how Russia could use its maritime capabilities to prepare sabotage against the UK, as reported by European Pravda Details The UK military recently discovered sensors in the sea believed to be Russian spy devices.
Some had come loose from their mounts and were washed ashore by waves, while others were located with the help of the navy.
For national security reasons, journalists have withheld the exact locations and certain other details of the find.
The UK military believes Russia installed the sensors to gather intelligence on British nuclear submarines one of which is always at sea as part of the UKs continuous deterrence strategy.
The article also highlights the potential threat posed by Russias submarine capabilities, which have been steadily developed since the Cold War.
It notes that Moscow maintains highly advanced skills in submarine warfare and espionage, possibly surpassing those of the UK and other NATO members in some areas.
It is also noted that even before Russia launched its fullscale invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin had already begun preparing for a war conflict with NATO.
This strategy involved monitoring and laying the groundwork for possible sabotage of underwater infrastructure.
Sources in the Royal Navy told the Times they believe the Nord Stream explosion in autumn 2022 may have been the first such act of sabotage, noting that the military precision of the operation strongly resembles Russias typical hybrid warfare tactics.
They also suspect that incidents involving anchors damaging undersea cables in the Baltic Sea were likely deliberate rather than accidental.
There should be no doubt, there is a war raging in the Atlantic...
We are seeing phenomenal amounts of Russian activity, said a senior serving British military figure.
Several sources also indicated that credible intelligence suggests Russian oligarchs yachts may have been used for espionage operations in UK waters up until February 2022.
Some of these vessels were reportedly equipped with the necessary technology to deploy or recover underwater surveillance devices.
One former minister noted that the UK military was well aware of such threats.
For instance, in 2018, when a Russian oligarchs yacht unexpectedly anchored near the British warship HMS Albion in Cyprus, the incident was treated as a potential espionage attempt, prompting the warship to leave the port without delay.
The article points out that offshore wind farms currently supplying a fifth of the UKs electricity are a potential target for Russian sabotage, as they rely on undersea cables to transmit power to the mainland.
Similar vulnerabilities exist with subsea oil and gas pipelines, particularly those bringing energy from Norway, which could face attacks akin to the sabotage of Nord Stream.
The 60 communication cables linking the UK to various parts of the world are also seen as potential easy prey, with their locations not classified.
However, sources indicate that private companies operating them are aware of these threats and have implemented alternative measures to safeguard communication.
The UK militarys primary concern is that Russia could determine the locations of these cables and damage them, particularly those used for military communications.
Background In late March, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer visited a nuclear submarine, marking the first such visit in over 10 years.
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