Preparation of Britain for potential covert attacks by Russia within the Grey Zone conflict scenario.
Revamped Article:
Russia's Stealthy War in the Heart of the North Sea
The cold, windy shores of Britain have become an unwelcome battleground in a covert war between London and Moscow, as Russian intelligence ships allegedly gather intel on the kingdom's crucial underwater infrastructure—oil pipelines, gas pipelines, and telecommunications cables. Politicians brace themselves for potential acts of sabotage in British waters.
In an exposé published in The Sunday Times in April, known as "Russia's Secret War," it was claimed that Russian spies are thoroughly studying the underwater landscape of Britain, with the possibility of escalating to acts of subversion. According to the article, British military intelligence has legitimate evidence that superyachts belonging to Russian oligarchs are being used for espionage activities.
The investigation pointed to unidentified sources revealing spy devices installed along the Scottish coast, even on underwater sections of wind farms. The goal, it seems, is to pinpoint the location of the UK's Vanguard-class submarines carrying the nation's nuclear arsenal. The Ministry of Defense declined to comment on this information.
Tobias Ellwood, a former defense minister, responded to the revelations, stating, "This is proof that we are fighting a covert conflict with Russia." Ellwood added that Russia has also deployed platforms along British shores from which mini-submarines can recharge, gathering intel on underwater cables or potentially preparing for an attack.
The media's attention on Russian ships near British waters has dominated headlines since the start of 2025. The Daily Mail ran an article titled "How Putin could plunge Britain into darkness" on its front page. The same publication listed 29 items needed for a survival kit "in case of a Russian attack."
Much of Britain's critical infrastructure relies on underwater networks. Apart from telecommunications, around 20% of all gas supplies to the kingdom come from the Langeled pipeline, connecting the island to Norway. The Viking Link, the world's longest subsea power cable, links Britain to Denmark. As Julian Breizer, a researcher at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in London, highlights, Britain stands virtually alone amongst countries whose vital infrastructure is so deeply entwined with the coastal line or the sea.
"If a dozen old tankers simultaneously decide to drag their anchors through the depths of British waters, our armed forces would struggle to fix all the resulting breakdowns," Breizer ponders. He goes on to caution that if a small boat, such as a yacht, were to drop a mine on approach to a port, the safety of all British ports could come under question, leaving the Royal Navy's mine hunters significantly overwhelmed.
A number of high-profile incidents in the Baltic Sea over the past year and a half have further raised suspicions about Russian activities. Three times, cables passing through the bottom of the Baltic have been damaged. Although Moscow's involvement hasn't been definitively proven, it is known that the oil tanker Eagle S—registered on the Cook Islands and linked to Russia's "shadow fleet"—damaged a power cable in the Gulf of Finland connecting Finland and Estonia with its anchor.
A British Ministry of Defense official interviewed by the BBC Russian Service expressed concern that psychological pressure on the population and politicians is one of Russia's aims in increasing its activity. The official believes that submarine games in the North Sea, a practice dating back to the Cold War era, have assumed new significance due to the growing importance of underwater infrastructure.
Defense Minister Hilary Benn addressed Russian President Putin in parliament: "We see you, we know what you're doing, and we will not hesitate to take decisive action to protect our country." The minister's comment came in response to recurring visits by the Russian oceanographic research vessel Yantar to British waters, particularly its presence in the English Channel near critical underwater infrastructure. In response to Yantar's presence, a Royal Navy submarine surfaced and was accompanied by the HMS Somerset frigate and the HMS Tyne patrol ship.
Naval intelligence officer James Droxford suspects that Russia is behaving aggressively but not waging a hybrid war against Britain in the field of underwater infrastructure. While Russian intelligence ships like Yantar are considered spy ships by Western experts, there is no concrete evidence of large-scale spying operations against UK underwater infrastructure.
Much ado about nothing, some experts argue. The influential British specialist in Russian politics, Professor Mark Galeotti, suggests viewing Russian activity in British waters as a "combination of contingency planning and political warfare." In other words, more of a show than a concerted effort to sabotage Britain's critical infrastructure.
Currently, a group of independent experts selected by the British government is preparing a Strategic Defense and Security Review, which will focus on the protection of vital underwater infrastructure and modern threats to Britain, including ways to effectively employ the nation's armed forces and nuclear arsenal.
- Absolutely, the covert war between London and Moscow in British waters has raised concerns about Russian spying, with intelligence ships allegedly gathering intelligence on the kingdom's critical underwater infrastructure.
- The deployment of Russian vessels, including superyachts belonging to Russian oligarchs, has been a subject of concern, suspected of being used for espionage activities.
- Cybersecurity and technology have become crucial in this war-and-conflicts context, with Russian spies investigating the underwater landscape of Britain, including spy devices installed along the Scottish coast and on underwater sections of wind farms.
- General news outlets, such as The Sunday Times and The Daily Mail, have been covering this issue extensively, with headlines warning about potential acts of sabotage and suggesting survival kits in case of a Russian attack.
- The development of the Strategic Defense and Security Review by a group of independent experts, focusing on the protection of vital underwater infrastructure, underscores the seriousness of this issue in the realm of politics and international relations.
