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UK and Nato allies intercept Russian plot to deploy secret weapon to undersea cable

Metro • September 10, 2026

A joint Nato operation is said to have intercepted Russian submarines attempting to destroy a vital undersea cable in the Arctic.

Two Western officials told Reuters that they uncovered covert Russian GUGI undersea warfare submarines trying to destroy a cable near Svalbard.

The UK, Norway and the US were involved in the exercise and managed to stop the submarines.

The vital undersea cables are used to connect countries to the internet and have been targeted before.

The cables connecting Svalbard to Norway lie 2,700 metres below the surface of the ocean.

Russia has continued to deny targeting the vital fibre optic cables.

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It comes as the government says Russian activity off the British coast has increased by 30% over the past two years.

The Ministry of Defence suspects ships such as the Yantar – which were spotted on the edge of UK waters twice this last year– are being used to map pipelines and cables.

The UK relies on subsea infrastructure for 99% of its international telecommunications data, as well as basic energy supplies like electricity, oil and gas.

According to the recent strategic defence review (SDR), the sea is becoming ‘increasingly vulnerable’, with adversaries ‘more willing to threaten the free flow of critical commodities’.

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NATO Thwarts Russian Submarine Sabotage of Undersea Cables In a joint operation this spring, NATO allies intercepted Russian submarines near Svalbard, which were training to deploy a secret weapon aimed at severing undersea cables without detection. The operation involved the Russian GUGI undersea warfare directorate using deep-sea submersibles to simulate the deployment of this technology. The UK, Norway, and the US tracked and confronted the Russian vessels, preventing them from completing their exercise. No cables were damaged during the incident, but the exercise raised concerns about potential sabotage operations targeting critical infrastructure. The undersea cables in question are crucial for global internet connectivity and financial transactions, lying as deep as 2,700 meters below the sea. Following the incident, British and Norwegian officials communicated their findings to Moscow to deter future use of the technology. The Kremlin has denied any involvement in sabotage operations against NATO countries. This event highlights the increasing tensions and potential threats to undersea infrastructure in the Arctic region. 17 sources 63

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UK and Nato allies intercept Russian plot to deploy secret weapon to undersea cable

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