Russia preparing to cut Europe off from internet and military links – FT
Russia seeks to cut EU undersea communication cables (photo: 24tv.ua)
A Russian spy ship is monitoring Europe's undersea cables, and the aggressor country plans future sabotage around the British Isles, Financial Times reports.
The outlet writes that although Moscow is testing NATO's response to violations of EU countries' airspace, there is growing concern about Russia's undersea espionage operations.
Russian spying on cables
In November 2024, Moscow's military spy ship Yantar, equipped with surveillance equipment, carried out a mission to map and potentially intercept undersea cables. NATO allies depend on these cables for internet access, energy, military communications, and financial transactions.
It sailed around Norway, went down through the English Channel, moved up into the Irish Sea, then turned south to the Mediterranean and east to the Suez.
"Yantar is the tool Russia is using to somehow . . . keep us awake. She's following cable lines and pipelines, making stops. We are monitoring her very closely," said one senior NATO commander.
The article highlights information about the military unit that oversees the vessel's activities — Russia's Main Directorate of Deep-Sea Research (GUGI).
Western officials believe that GUGI, which came under British government sanctions this summer, is capable of carrying out the full range of covert operations, including sabotage activity in the so-called gray zone between peacetime and armed conflict.
Dependence on undersea communications
The seabed has become an attractive target as global reliance on undersea infrastructure has grown. Undersea cables carry ninety-nine percent of the United Kingdom's digital communications, while undersea pipelines transport three-quarters of its total gas supply.
Particularly sensitive are the cables transmitting data for the Integrated Undersea Surveillance System (IUSS), a joint US–UK military network that tracks the movement of hostile submarines.
An accurate map of undersea internet connections, energy pipelines, and military communication cables would be vital for preparing for combat operations. It would allow Moscow to disrupt a country's energy supply or hinder emergency responses.
Yantar is equipped with submersible vehicles fitted with manipulators capable of tapping into military and internet cables to intercept information. It can also install explosive devices to be detonated in the future.
Western naval officials told the FT that Yantar is likely identifying junctions between multiple cables where disruption would have the most significant impact.
David Fields, a former British naval attaché in Moscow, stated that GUGI's undersea reconnaissance capabilities pose a "significant threat" to the global network of undersea cables.
"So if tensions were to accelerate dangerously, Russia could turn the lights out and turn off our energy and communications systems, undermining political will and social cohesion, thereby hoping to prevent escalation to an actual war," he said.
Earlier, a Russian warship was spotted in waters near Denmark at the same time unidentified drones were detected over the country's airports and military facilities.
Russia's Black Sea Fleet has virtually no means left to repel Ukrainian drone attacks, as the Ukrainian Navy said Russia had already exhausted almost all available measures at its naval bases.
