Russian spy devices found tracking UK nuclear submarines: Report

Russian spy sensors are being deployed to track the UK’s nuclear submarines, a recent report by The Sunday Times revealed.

The Royal Navy found some of the covert devices in waterways surrounding Britain, sparking fears that Moscow is secretly monitoring and potentially plotting sabotage against major parts of UK infrastructure, including the country’s four Vanguard-class submarines, which carry Britain’s nuclear missiles.

Despite the discovery being flagged as major national security threat by military officials, it remained hidden from the public.

“There should be no doubt, there is a war raging in the Atlantic,” a senior military source told The Sunday Times.

“This is a game of cat and mouse that has continued since the ending of the Cold War, and is now heating up again. We are seeing phenomenal amounts of Russian activity.”

Kremlin's 'greyzone' tactic

Officials suspect the operation to be a part of Russian President Vladimir Putin ’s wider "greyzone" strategy, an undeclared form of warfare targeting undersea cables, pipelines, and other critical systems, the New York Post reported.

In the last 15 months alone, 11 deep-sea communication cables in the Baltic Sea have been damaged, and similar covert surveillance equipment has reportedly washed up along Britain’s coastline.

Military operatives have also detected unmanned Russian vehicles near seabed communication lines, which link the UK to the rest of the world. Of the 60 internet cables connected to Britain, some remain undisclosed to the public, according to senior sources.

The ministry of defence gathered intelligence suggesting that superyachts owned by Russian oligarchs were used to conduct underwater probe, quietly gathering underwater data.

“Our role is to both defeat any threats to the UK as well as take it out of the greyzone,” said captain Simon Pressdee.

“We do the latter by understanding who is involved and providing that evidence to avoid misunderstandings who is involved and providing that evidence to avoid misunderstandings and make those who threaten the UK accountable for their actions.”

Russian naval presence in UK waters isn’t new, and the government is now ramping up efforts to shield the country’s undersea infrastructure, seeking financial support from private tech and energy firms to help bolster defences.

In the short term, a new project codenamed Cabot will be launched to safeguard vital underwater assets in partnership with industries that rely on them.

However, some Royal Navy sources believe more aggressive steps should be implimented, including laying sea mines around sensitive areas, a strategy not used since the Cold War.

A ministry of defence spokesperson said, “We are committed to enhancing the security of critical offshore infrastructure.”

“Alongside our NATO and Joint Expeditionary Force allies, we are strengthening our response to ensure that Russian ships and aircraft cannot operate in secrecy near the UK or near NATO territory, harnessing new technologies like AI and coordinating patrols with our allies. And our continuous-at-sea nuclear deterrent continues to patrol the world’s oceans undetected as it has done for 56 years.”