UK’s undersea cables under ‘very real’ threat from Russia, ex-Navy chief warns

The UK’s network of undersea cables are under a ‘very real and present threat’ from Russia, a former Navy chief has said.

Lord West of Spithead warned the that crucial cables, interconnectors and pipelines – worth up to £7.4 trillion a day – are potentially vulnerable to hostile activity.

The former head of the Royal Navy told the House of Lords: ‘The actions and statements of president Putin would seem to indicate that he actually already considers that he is at war with this country and the West, if you just look at the raft of things he has done.

‘There is no doubt that the Soviet Union, when it existed, was very interested in what was going on under the sea – and Russia today is probably even more interested in what is going on under the sea.

‘If we stopped those cables working, £7.4 trillion worth of financial activity each day would be cut, 25% of our electricity would go and so on and so on.’

Defence minister Baroness Goldie assured Lord West that the Government considers these cables ‘critical to our national infrastructure’ and that their security is taken ‘very seriously’.

She said: ‘The MoD (Ministry of Defence) in the UK operates a very effective surveillance programme – we have aerial surveillance out over the North Sea and the High North, we have submarine activity and, of course, we shall be assisted by the MROS addition to that fleet.’

Last week, a joint investigation by public broadcasters in Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland suggested Russia has a fleet of vessels disguised as fishing trawlers and research vessels in the North Sea.

It’s thought the fleet has underwater surveillance equipment and could be mapping locations for potential sabotage.

And UK officials could be aware of Russian vessels moving around UK waters – but sources did not say whether any specific incidents had been investigated so far.

The UK is preparing to use two Multi-Role Ocean Surveillance ships (MROS) to act as undersea protection ships with one set to be operational by the summer.

The 98-metre-long, adaptable offshore patrol vessel will be dedicated to safeguarding seabed telecommunications cables and oil and gas pipelines.

This MROS is currently being refurbished in Merseyside, while the second ship is currently in the concept stage.

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