Russia builds underwater 'wall' to shield Arctic - Spiegel
Russia monitors NATO submarines from the Barents Sea and beyond (Photo: Getty Images)
Russia has deployed a network of underwater sensor installations in the Arctic and the Baltic Sea to monitor foreign submarines and protect its fleet, according to Der Spiegel.
Citing The Washington Post and other media outlets, the publication reports that Moscow is using, among other things, Western-made equipment for this purpose, including underwater antennas and drones.
Russia calls the surveillance system “Harmony”
The system, named Harmony by Moscow, is active in the Barents Sea and, according to journalistic investigations, extends beyond this region.
In particular, at the site of the Estonia ferry disaster in the Baltic Sea, Russia may have installed sensors for the early detection of submarines, despite a ban on diving there in memory of the victims of the 1994 tragedy.
Experts believe that Russia is attempting to strengthen the defense of its Arctic bases and nuclear submarines, as well as to create an invisible belt of sensors stretching between Murmansk and the archipelagos of Novaya Zemlya and Franz Josef Land.
It is believed that this would make it more difficult for NATO submarines to enter the region, thereby giving Russia an advantage in target detection.
According to military analyst Alessio Patalano of King’s College London, the project primarily serves defensive purposes — protecting nuclear assets and ports in case of war — although it could also be used for offensive operations.
Journalists note that such developments have been underway for years: Russia signed contracts to purchase Western hydroacoustic monitoring systems as early as 2015 — shortly after the occupation of Crimea and long before the current escalation of tensions with NATO.
In recent days, the UK reported an increase in Russian submarine activity to levels not seen since the Cold War. British Defense Secretary John Healey addressed the Kremlin on this matter.
Healey stated that this indicates growing Russian aggression across the board, which affects all of Europe, not just Ukraine.
RBC-Ukraine also reported that on October 9, a Russian submarine surfaced off the coast of France. In response to the incident, the Alliance declared its readiness to defend itself.
