This spring, US, British and Norwegian forces intercepted Russian submarines near the Svalbard archipelago in the Arctic, preventing them from testing a secret weapon to stealthily destroy critical undersea cables.
This spring, US, British and Norwegian forces intercepted Russian submarines near the Svalbard archipelago in the Arctic, preventing them from testing a secret weapon to stealthily destroy critical undersea cables.
This was reported by Reuters, citing two Western officials.
The secret operation was conducted by the Main Directorate for Deep-Sea Research of the Russian Ministry of Defense (GUGI). Using deep-sea vehicles, the Russians simulated the placement of destructive technologies on underwater fiber-optic communication lines.
A joint operation by the allies allowed them to track and stop Russian ships directly at sea, forcing them to leave the area and interrupt the exercises.
Although Britain and Norway publicly mentioned the exposure of the actions of the GUGI in Arctic waters back in April, information about the discovery of new Russian weapons, the exact location of the events, and the participation of the United States had not previously been disclosed.
The submarine cables connecting Svalbard to mainland Norway run at depths of up to 2,700 meters and transmit vast amounts of satellite data from the world's largest station, SvalSat, which is part of NASA's network.
In parallel with the operation at sea, British and Norwegian diplomats handed over to Moscow evidence that the Alliance was aware of the development of a new weapon in order to warn the Russian Federation against its actual use.
"Through the joint operation, we have sent a clear signal to Russia: they will not be able to act covertly. We have made it clear to the Russian authorities that any attempt to attack our critical infrastructure will be detected and will have consequences," said Norwegian Defense Minister Tore Sandvik.
In August, the US, UK and Norway held joint exercises near Jan Mayen Island, demonstrating their readiness to defend Arctic borders. For security reasons, Norway is already planning to lay a new fiber-optic communication line between Svalbard, Jan Mayen and the mainland by 2028.
