This mysterious operation, according to the interlocutors, was organized by the Main Directorate of Deep-Sea Research (GUGI), which ordered the use of deep underwater devices in an attempt to simulate an operation involving complex and destructive technology.
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The joint mission, involving the United Kingdom, Norway, and the United States, allowed tracking and stopping Russian ships at sea, two officials who spoke on condition of anonymity said. The ships were prevented from completing their exercises and eventually left the area.
Britain and Norway reported in April that they uncovered a secret Russian operation in Arctic waters. However, there was no report on the discovery of the new weapon, the location of the operation, or US involvement.
This confrontation occurred at a time when some Western intelligence officials fear that the Kremlin is intensifying sabotage operations in Europe and preparing for conflict with NATO.
Cables, no thicker than a garden hose, lying on the seabed or buried slightly deeper, are especially important for global internet connectivity and financial operations. Two 1400 km long underwater fiber optic cables connecting Svalbard with mainland Norway are laid at depths of up to 2,700 meters. They transmit huge amounts of satellite data received at the SvalSat satellite ground station, which is the largest in the world and belongs to NASA’s Near Space Network.
The Russian Ministry of Defense did not respond to a request to comment on this incident. The Kremlin consistently denies conducting sabotage operations in NATO countries or planning any confrontation.
At the same time as the sea confrontations occurred, UK and Norwegian officials presented their findings to Moscow to show that they were aware of the new technology – hoping this would deter Russia from using it, both officials told Reuters.
According to them, Russia did not manage to damage the cables. The exercises were intended to simulate the use of this technology in a conflict with NATO. However, they declined to explain in detail how this technology works.
Such activity and suspected cases of cable disruption prompted new initiatives launched in January last year, including NATO’s Baltic Sentry surveillance system and the UK-led Operation Nordic Warden, which brings together naval forces to strengthen critical infrastructure patrols.
“Over the past 25 years, Europe has done two things at once. It has greatly increased its dependence on seabed infrastructure and drastically reduced its capabilities to protect that infrastructure,” noted Bruce Jones, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. “Now, faced with a rapidly growing Russian threat, it is belatedly restoring its capabilities.”
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