Russian ship spotted near undersea communication cables
Photo: Russian vessel Sinegorsk (Russian media)
The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom forced a suspicious Russian ship out of the Bristol Channel after it anchored near critical undersea cables, The Telegraph reports.
The cargo ship Sinegorsk entered the Bristol Channel on the evening of Tuesday, January 27.
It anchored about two miles off the coast of Minehead in Somerset, less than a mile from submarine telecommunications cables connecting the UK with the United States, Canada, Spain, and Portugal.
Photo: A Russian ship was spotted near undersea communication cables
Russian sailors claimed they were conducting "essential safety repairs," but British officials did not believe their explanation, describing the vessel’s actions as "deeply suspicious."
Moreover, Shadow Security Minister Alicia Kearns emphasized that the incident highlights the "persistent and pernicious threats our country faces from Putin and his allies."
As a result, UK authorities ordered the Russian ship to leave the territorial waters of the Bristol Channel.
After 14 hours on the scene, a Royal Navy Wildcat helicopter, which took off from the Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton, forced the crew to weigh anchor and move into open waters. The helicopter could have been armed with Sea Venom anti-ship missiles or Sting Ray torpedoes, though exact details about its armament during the operation have not been publicly disclosed.
Previous threats
British authorities already have experience countering attempts by Russian vessels to interfere with undersea infrastructure. For example, in 2025, the ship Yantar, identified as a reconnaissance vessel, was placed under Royal Navy surveillance, while the crew of the tanker Fitburg was arrested in Finland after damaging cables between Helsinki and Tallinn.
The UK Ministry of Defense emphasizes that the Royal Navy continuously monitors the seas and protects critical infrastructure, including undersea cables and pipelines.
In December 2025, the Royal Navy tracked a Russian Krasnodar-class submarine in the English Channel for several days as it passed through the Dover Strait. The Navy stated that it was prepared to take immediate anti-submarine action, and after the submarine exited toward the French coast, control was handed over to NATO allies.
In October of last year, a Russian vessel carrying a dangerous cargo entered the English Channel, which was then called a "floating bomb".
