Investigation finds Russian surveillance, sabotage ship near European undersea cables, FT reports
Satellite data has uncovered a Russian surveillance and sabotage ship near crucial underwater cables in Europe's seas, the Financial Times (FT) reported on Sept. 26.
"Russian military thinking places great emphasis on hitting early, hard, and where it hurts to prevent escalation to a full-scale war. It has invested a lot of time, money, and effort in mapping the critical national infrastructure of their enemies to attack covertly or overtly," the U.K.'s former naval attache to Russia, Captain David Fields, told FT.
The data collected by the ship and others alike are a part of Russia's highly secretive Directorate of Deep-Sea Research (GUGI). Precise maps of Europe's crucial energy and communications networks would be an advantage for Moscow if it ever decides to wage a war against the continent, FT reported.
Russia's Yantar vessel is intensifying its work following a period of lower activity as its capacity to observe was held back by the Kremlin amid the onset of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine in February 2022.
Moscow has intensified violations of the EU's and NATO's airspace in recent weeks. Moscow violated Polish airspace on Sept. 10, prompting Warsaw to shoot down Russian drones over its territory in a first for any NATO member in over three years of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine. On Sept. 19, three Russian jets violated Estonian airspace.
Yantar was found in satellite footage of the Irish Sea between the U.K. and Ireland in November when the sabotage ship was trying to conceal itself in an alleged mission that lasted several months off the U.K.'s coast.
The vessel was also located over the underwater cables between Norway's mainland and the Svalbard archipelago, FT reported.
The Yantar can alter the frequency pulses passing through communication cables, causing disruptions, unnamed Western naval officials said, adding that the vessel is likely pinning where a disturbance would cause maximum harm.
The ship is able to intercept military communications, internet cables, and plant explosives that can be set off in the future, according to FT.
"So if tensions were to dangerously accelerate, 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," Fields said.
Three people were arrested by British police on suspicion of espionage for Russia, the Guardian reported on Sept. 18, citing the Metropolitan police.
"Through our recent national security casework, we’re seeing an increasing number of who we would describe as 'proxies' being recruited by foreign intelligence services," Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the London police's Counter Terrorism Command, said.
