UK to lead Norway, Sweden and seven NATO allies against Russian submarines after US-backed operation stops suspected plot to damage undersea cables

The move follows growing concerns over Russian naval activity near undersea cables, pipelines and shipping routes linking Europe, North America and Africa, after US, British and Norwegian forces reportedly disrupted a suspected Russian operation targeting underwater infrastructure.

According to the Financial Times, Britain, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden, all NATO members, will strengthen naval, air and ground operations through the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) to monitor Russian submarine movements.

Member states are scheduled to formalise the agreement aboard Britain’s aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales on November 10, following joint military exercises across the North Atlantic, Arctic and Baltic Sea in September and October 2026.

In April 2026, Britain disclosed that its military had tracked three Russian submarines operating near critical undersea cables and pipelines in the North Atlantic.

The vessels included an Akula-class attack submarine and two specialised submarines belonging to Russia’s Main Directorate of Deep-Sea Research, known as GUGI.

British Defence Secretary John Healey said Royal Navy warships and RAF surveillance aircraft monitored the submarines for more than a month, warning that the specialised vessels could survey underwater infrastructure and potentially sabotage it during a conflict.

Addressing Russian President Vladimir Putin, Healey said: “We see you, we see your activity over our cables and pipelines.”

A Reuters investigation published in September revealed that Britain, Norway and the United States had also confronted Russian deep-sea vessels near Norway’s Svalbard archipelago.

Two Western officials told reporters that the Russian vessels were testing technology designed to disable undersea communication cables without leaving identifiable evidence.

According to the officials, allied forces disrupted the exercise, forcing the Russian vessels to withdraw before completing the operation, although no undersea cables were damaged.

In a more recent interview with the Financial Times, Britain’s Chief of the Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, acknowledged that the UK needed to “catch up with our European allies” in responding to Russia.

“This is the most dangerous period I’ve known in my adult life,” he said, referring to alleged Russian involvement in sabotage, cyberattacks and targeted killings.

The UK-led operation will focus on tracking Russian submarines and protecting undersea cables and pipelines across the North Atlantic, Arctic and Baltic Sea.

Beyond Europe, Russian submarine activity has also reached North Africa, with Algeria hosting the vessels on at least three occasions for official naval engagements in the Mediterranean Sea, with no reported links to espionage or sabotage.

Meanwhile, melting Arctic ice is opening shipping routes along Russia’s northern coast and through Canadian waters, creating trade opportunities as the United States and NATO raise concerns over Russian military activity and China’s interests in the resource-rich region.