The deep-sea conspiracy: Russia practiced cutting NATO communication cables

Western sources revealed that Russia practiced damaging NATO's underwater communication cables in the Arctic region. The operation, carried out by the secret GUGI unit, was thwarted by Britain, Norway, and the United States. The cables were not damaged.

Western sources revealed that Russia practiced damaging NATO's underwater communication cables in the Arctic region. The secret operation, thwarted by Britain, Norway, and the United States, was carried out by the Russian Main Directorate for Deep-Sea Research (GUGI), a secret unit specializing in underwater warfare. According to the report, Russian vessels practiced deploying advanced technology designed to damage infrastructure on the seabed in the event of a conflict with NATO. The incident occurred last spring in waters near the Svalbard archipelago in Norway. Following joint surveillance and confrontation with the vessels, the Russians failed to complete the exercise and left the area. The cables themselves were not damaged. Two fiber-optic cables, approximately 1,400 km long, pass through the area, connecting Svalbard to mainland Norway and reaching depths of up to 2,700 meters. The cables are used to transmit satellite data from the SvalSat ground station, part of NASA's space network. The West fears that damaging the cables could be used by Moscow in the event of a future conflict with the alliance. The Kremlin consistently denies carrying out acts of sabotage in NATO countries.