NewKerala.com

Russia Dismisses UK Claims of Submarine Activity Near Atlantic Cables

The Russian Embassy in London has firmly rejected claims by British Defence Secretary John Healey regarding Russian submarine activity near critical undersea infrastructure in the North Atlantic. The embassy stated the claims were impossible to believe or verify, countering the narrative of a British-led operation to track such submarines. Healey had directly addressed President Vladimir Putin, warning that any attempt to damage cables or pipelines would have serious consequences. The Russian response also accused London of making aggressive threats and shifted blame for past pipeline sabotage to Western nations.

Key Points: Russia Rejects UK Claim of Submarine Activity in Atlantic

  • UK claims month-long sub tracking op
  • Russia dismisses claim as not credible
  • Healey warns Putin of consequences
  • Embassy warns UK over "aggressive" threats
2 min read

Russian embassy in London rebuts British claim of Russian submarine activity

Russian embassy in London calls British Defence Secretary's claims of tracking Russian subs near undersea cables "neither credible nor verifiable."

"impossible to either believe or verify - Russian Embassy statement"

London, April 10

The Russian Embassy in Britain dismissed a claim by British Defence Secretary John Healey of Russian submarine activity in the North Atlantic as neither credible nor verifiable.

Earlier Thursday, Healey said Britain and Norway had led a month-long operation to track Russian submarines near key undersea cables and pipelines in the North Atlantic, Xinhua news agency reported.

The Russian embassy said in a statement that it was "impossible to either believe or verify" Healey's claim that Britain spent weeks repelling the "aggression" of an alleged Russian submarine in neutral waters using "only a single vessel and a surveillance aircraft."

A British warship and aircraft were deployed to deter the "malign" activity by Moscow and there was "no evidence" of any damage to UK infrastructure in the Atlantic, he added.

Addressing Russian President Vladimir Putin directly, Healey said: "We see you. We see your activity over our cables and our pipelines, and you should know that any attempt to damage them will not be tolerated and will have serious consequences."

London had recently issued "extremely aggressive statements and threats" targeting merchant ships operating in the interests of Russian companies and their partners, the embassy added, warning that "if these threats are translated into action, there will be consequences."

The embassy said Russia does not threaten undersea infrastructure critical to Britain, nor does it use aggressive rhetoric on the issue, noting that the responsibility for the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines "rested with Western countries."

- IANS

Share this article:

Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
The British claim does seem a bit thin if it's based on just one ship and plane tracking something for a month. Either they have more evidence they're not sharing, or it's political messaging. Undersea cables are critical infrastructure for everyone, including India's IT sector.
V
Vikram M
Russia pointing fingers at the West for Nord Stream while being accused of similar activities... pot calling the kettle black? 🤔 India must stay neutral and focus on its own strategic interests. Our foreign policy of strategic autonomy is being tested every day by these tensions.
P
Priya S
The language is so aggressive from both sides. "We see you", "there will be consequences"... feels like a movie script. In the real world, this rhetoric just increases risk for everyone. Hope cooler heads prevail. 🙏
R
Rohit P
Respectfully, I think the British Defence Secretary is doing his job by being vocal. Whether the evidence is solid or not, public statements act as a deterrent. Silent diplomacy has its limits. However, the proof must eventually be presented to the international community.
M
Michael C
This is why India's multi-alignment is so crucial. We can't afford to get dragged into every NATO-Russia spat. Our focus should be on protecting sea lanes in the Indian Ocean and ensuring our own digital infrastructure is secure.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50