Allegations have surfaced that Russia attempted to track nuclear submarines with sensors in British territorial waters. Some sensors washed ashore, while others were discovered by the Navy.

According to The Sunday Times, sensors placed by Russia and used for spying on nuclear submarines belonging to the British Navy were found in British waters. This discovery, deemed a threat to national security, was never publicly disclosed before. It was reported that while some of these sensors washed ashore, the locations of others were identified by the Royal Navy. These devices are believed to have been installed to gather intelligence from four Vanguard submarines belonging to the UK and carrying nuclear missiles. One of these submarines is always kept at sea for “continuous deterrence,” but the newspaper did not share details like the locations of these sensors with the readers.

“LIKE THE SPACE RACE DURING THE COLD WAR” The newspaper spoke with former defense ministers, high-ranking armed forces personnel, and military experts as part of three months of investigative work. This effort aimed to shed light on how Russia utilized submarine warfare capabilities for the purpose of mapping, hacking, and potentially sabotaging critical British infrastructure. The report indicated that high-ranking military figures likened the “technological competition undertaken to gain superiority” to the space race during the Cold War.

PUTIN, NORTHERN STREAM, AND THE “GREY ZONE” DOCTRINE The sources from the Royal Navy mentioned in the news report that Russia has never ceased investing in submarine patrol activities deep in the oceans post-Cold War. Accordingly, Russia is the only country with a dedicated submarine fleet for underwater warfare and espionage. It is believed that the capabilities of some of these submarines exceed those of the UK and NATO countries.

This indicates that Russia was preparing for a broader conflict with NATO before the war in Ukraine, including activities involving monitoring and sabotage of submarine internet connections, energy pipelines, and cables used for military purposes. All of these operations are central to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “grey zone” doctrine. Referring to the 2022 incident of a gas pipeline explosion in the Northern Stream, sources from the Royal Navy suggested that the attack bore all the hallmarks of a Kremlin-orchestrated grey zone operation and “military sensitivity.”

ROYAL NAVY TRACKING YANTAR The information shared in the report revealed that Russia’s submarine research program is mainly under the supervision of the Main Directorate for Deep Sea Research (Gugi). The most renowned spy ship is Yantar, which was also spotted off the coast of the UK last year. Yantar houses unmanned aerial vehicles and two small submarines capable of reaching depths of 6,000 meters. These devices enable the ship to locate and map relevant infrastructure, cut cables, or eavesdrop on them for gathering information. A defense source mentioned that a series of tools and devices had been sent to track this ship, including the British Proteus.

As Yantar returned to the English Channel in January, UK Defense Minister John Healey instructed the HMS Somerset and HMS Tyne ships to monitor it closely. The nuclear submarine HMS Astute quietly continued to follow the ship from below.

“THE GUGI THREAT BEGINS WHERE THE CONTINENTAL SHELF ENDS” According to the report, the real concern for the UK is not Yantar itself. The waters surrounding the UK are largely considered part of the European continental shelf, with depths not exceeding 300 meters. Although the Navy has various means to monitor activities in these areas, depths reach thousands of meters beyond where the continental shelf ends. Gugi and its six small nuclear submarines pose a “threat” in these depths. These “mini-subs” can settle on the seafloor to cut cables, place explosives, or engage in activities on fiber-optic cables for hacking purposes. Before the Russia-Ukraine war began, suspicions arose that super yachts owned by Russian oligarchs were conducting reconnaissance activities around the UK.

“NAVY DISCOVERED A LARGE NUMBER OF SENSORS” According to The Sunday Times investigation, the Royal Navy found numerous sensor devices in the seas surrounding the UK. The Ministry of Defence believes these were placed by Moscow to track movements of the UK’s four Vanguard nuclear submarines. While the nature of these sensors remains unclear, some were reported to have washed ashore, and others were detected using Navy minesweepers. The Ministry also reported discovering additional sensors during search operations.

Whether the UK has found evidence of other Russian activities remains classified as “secret knowledge.” A senior British source compared the situation to “a sort of space race… It’s a world shrouded in secrecy and deception; it’s very difficult to ascertain the full picture. But there’s enough smoke to suggest something’s on fire.”