‘We see you’: Defence Secretary issues warning to Putin as he reveals how UK tracked Russian spy sub in month-long covert op
Addressing Putin, the Defence Secretary said: “We see you, we see your activity over our cables and our pipelines.”
The UK and its allies tracked three Russian submarines over a month-long period as part of a 'covert operation' surveilling undersea cables in the North Atlantic, the Defence Secretary has revealed.
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Speaking in a press conference from Downing Street on Thursday, John Healey revealed that the UK had monitored a Russian attack submarine and two spy submarines as they travelled close to vital infrastructure in the North Atlantic.
The month-long operation saw 500 British personnel involved in tracking the vessels hour-by-hour, aiming to "deter maligned activity," with the Russian subs ultimately retreating to home waters.
British aircraft and warships identified the Russian attack submarine entering international waters in the High North several weeks ago, with the UK working closely with Norway to track its movements.
The defence secretary says there is "no evidence that there has been any damage" to UK cables and pipelines
Describing the subs' aim of monitoring critical undersea cables, the Defence Secretary revealed his belief that the attack submarine, known as an Akula, was being used to "distract" attention away from the two Russian spy submarines, known as GUGIs.
Addressing Russian President Vladimir Putin directly, the Defence Secretary said: “We see you, we see your activity over our cables and our pipelines.”
He added: "Putin failed".
The intelligence gathered by the subs would be used to help the Russian government "sabotage" infrastructure during times of conflict, Healey explained.
The Defence Secretary also revealed that UK armed forces personnel "dropped sonar buoys" to let Russia know their "covert operation had been exposed".
The surveillance is believed to have been conducted under the cover of events currently taking place in the Middle East.
It comes as tensions between Russia and the West continue to simmer, with attempted cyber attacks on UK infrastructure becoming an almost daily occurrence.
Healey added: "We will not tolerate any attempt to threaten our way of life".
Adding: "Any attempt to damage them will not be tolerated and will have serious consequences".
The two GUGIs deployed by Russia form part of Putin's Main Directorate of Deep Sea Research and conduct what the government describes as "nefarious activity over critical undersea infrastructure elsewhere".
Subsea fibre optic cables, believed to be the target of the Russian mission, are essential for all digital communications.
Over 99% of international data traffic, including voice calls and internet data, travel through these subsea cables - critical infrastructure that underpins global banking, trade, and communications.
Following the press conference, the Prime Minister said in a statement: "I am determined to protect the British people from paying the price for Putin's aggression in their household bills.
"That is why we will not shy away from taking action and exposing Russia's destabilising activity that seeks to test our resolve.
"Our Armed Forces are among the best in the world, and the British public should be in no doubt that this government will do whatever it takes to defend our national and economic security, wherever in the world that is needed."
GUGI is Russia’s long-running military programme to develop capabilities to be deployed from specialist surface vessels and submarines.
The vessels are intended to survey underwater infrastructure during peacetime, but then damage or destroy infrastructure during a conflict.
According to Healey, the Royal Navy deployed a Type 23 frigate HMS St Albans, RFA Tidespring and Merlin helicopters to track the attack submarine as it operated near British territorial waters.
The aircraft worked alongside RAF P8 aircraft, with the attack submarine ultimately returning home towards Russia.
It comes as Vladimir Putin has mocked Sir Keir Starmer's threat to seize sanctioned Russian tankers in the English Channel by sending a warship to escort them through the strait.
A Black Sea fleet frigate, the Admiral Grigorovich, accompanied two shadow fleet ships through the Channel yesterday with a Royal Navy vessel following behind.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper told LBC this morning: “What I can tell you is that we have given permission now for action to be taken against the Russian shadow fleet. Operational decisions then have to be taken in the right way by the military.