Russia suspected of spying on UK undersea cables via fishing vessels

undersea cables Russian fishing trawlers infrastructure sabotage telecommunications security NATO

An investigation by The Telegraph, utilizing 4.5 years of vessel-tracking data from Global Fishing Watch, has identified 17 Russian fishing vessels engaged in suspicious activity near critical undersea telecommunications cables. The analysis documented over 500 instances where these vessels operated at low speeds or followed the paths of cables connecting the United Kingdom to Europe and the United States.

Experts suggest these vessels may be using sonar and remotely operated underwater vehicles to map the exact locations of fiber-optic infrastructure. Such intelligence could facilitate targeted sabotage during a potential conflict with NATO, potentially crippling essential services including banking, healthcare, transportation, and international communications.

In response to these perceived threats, the UK government is planning to introduce stricter security measures. Proposed legislation includes long prison sentences of up to 14 years and unlimited fines for those found guilty of intentionally damaging undersea cables or energy pipelines. Additionally, the government may seek powers to order telecommunications companies to disable services during national security emergencies.

Entities

Global Fishing Watch · Main Directorate of Deep-Sea Research · NATO · Royal Navy · Russia · Russia · The Telegraph · United Kingdom

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 7 SOURCES] 17 Russian vessels were identified operating at low speeds near important telecommunications cables. www.europesays.com · www.gzt.com · www.actualno.com · www.politika.rs · dominicanaaldia.com
[● 12 SOURCES] Russian fishing vessels made over 500 suspicious movements near UK undersea cables. www.europesays.com · novini247.com · fakti.bg · www.gzt.com · www.vijesti.me · +5 more
[● 2 SOURCES] One vessel approached nine separate undersea cables connecting Western Europe with the US over four years. www.europesays.com
[● 3 SOURCES] Russian fishing boats spent 337 hours near the Atlantic Crossing 1 telecommunications cable. www.europesays.com · www.actualno.com
[○ 1 SOURCE] The UK has approximately 64 undersea telecommunications cables. fakti.bg
[○ 1 SOURCE] Russian fishing companies Norebo and Murmanship Sifad are under EU sanctions. www.politika.rs
[● 7 SOURCES] Russia may be using commercial fishing vessels as covers for intelligence gathering. www.europesays.com · novini247.com · www.gzt.com · www.actualno.com · clubz.bg
[● 4 SOURCES] The UK government is proposing to increase the maximum prison sentence for damaging undersea cables to 14 years. www.gzt.com · www.politika.rs · www.vijesti.me · www.sondakika.com
[○ 1 SOURCE] The UK's sole dedicated cable-repair vessel, the CS Sovereign, is set to be retired in 2030. www.gbnews.com
[● 4 SOURCES] The attacks damaged monastery buildings, residential houses, shops, and cafes. www.kreiszeitung.de
[● 4 SOURCES] Russia used three ballistic missiles with cluster warheads in recent attacks on Kyiv. www.kreiszeitung.de
[● 4 SOURCES] A missile struck the Petschersk district in the historic center of Kyiv. www.kreiszeitung.de