NATO Allies Disrupt Russian Undersea Cable Operation in the Arctic

On 10 September, Reuters reported new details of a Russian submarine exercise conducted near Svalbard earlier this year. Based on accounts from two Western officials, the exercise involved GUGI submarines simulating the deployment of technology intended to disable critical undersea cables without leaving detectable traces.

Former UK Defence Secretary John Healey first disclosed the operation on 9 April, revealing that British forces had been deployed to “track and deter” the Russian vessels, which were monitored by a Royal Navy warship and RAF P8 aircraft alongside allied forces. Healey said the operation lasted more than a month and that the Russian submarines withdrew after their movements were exposed.

The activity took place near two strategically important fibre optic cables stretching roughly 1,400 km between Svalbard and mainland Norway at depths of up to 2,700 metres. The cables carry data downloaded at the SvalSat ground station, which forms part of NASA’s Near Space Network.

Norway’s Defence Minister Tore Sandvik made clear to Moscow that covert operations would not be tolerated and that any attempt to target critical infrastructure would be detected and met with consequences, adding that escalation in the High North served no one’s interest. Russia’s Defence Ministry did not comment on the operation, whist the Kremlin has consistently denied conducting sabotage operations in NATO states.

Russia’s High North exercise is also directly relevant to UK national security, given the country’s reliance on subsea telecommunications for international connectivity and the transmission of data powering the economy, communications and critical services.

The vulnerability of these cables, as well as offshore energy infrastructure, requires continued investment in maritime surveillance and allied cooperation, as demonstrated by the coordinated UK, Norwegian and US response to the Russian operation, alongside initiatives such as the UK’s Atlantic Bastion programme and Multi Role Ocean Surveillance capability.