British military discovered Russian sensor devices in the waters around the United Kingdom, presumably intended for spying on the United Kingdom's nuclear submarines, reported The Sunday Times. Superyachts owned by Russian billionaires may have also been used for espionage.
According to London, the devices were planted by Moscow in an attempt to gather intelligence on four British Vanguard submarines that carry nuclear missiles. As the publication writes, several sensors were found after being washed ashore, while others were discovered by the British fleet using mine sweepers over the past few years.
Additionally, in 2020, Russian underwater drones capable of operating at great depths and covering hundreds of miles over several days were discovered near critical communications for the United Kingdom on the seabed, learned The Sunday Times. The UK Ministry of Defense believes the drones aimed to damage underwater communications.
Even before the full-scale war in Ukraine, British intelligence had information that Russia might have also used superyachts owned by Russian billionaires for underwater reconnaissance, reported three high-ranking military sources to the publication, noting that the design of some yachts allows for the covert placement of deep-sea reconnaissance and diving equipment. For instance, in 2018, the British landing ship HMS Albion was forced to leave the port in Limassol prematurely after a huge superyacht belonging to one of the Russian billionaires approached it. The ship's crew suspected the superyacht approached for observation.
The United Kingdom may have to install protective minefields to safeguard its waters from enemy submarines, military sources told the publication.
Sources from The Sunday Times compared the current technological confrontation between Russia and the United Kingdom at sea to the space race between the USA and the USSR during the Cold War.
"There should be no doubt that there is a war in the Atlantic. It's a cat-and-mouse game that has been ongoing since the end of the Cold War and is now flaring up again. We are witnessing phenomenal Russian activity," said an unnamed high-ranking British military officer.