A growing number of Russian spy devices discovered in UK waters has prompted urgent calls for the expansion of Britain’s naval surveillance capabilities, amid rising concerns over Vladimir Putin’s “greyzone” warfare tactics.
Former defence minister Tobias Ellwood warned that the UK is “behind the curve” in monitoring Russia’s undersea activities, after reports revealed that sensors targeting the Royal Navy’s nuclear-armed Vanguard submarines had been seized by the military. Some of the devices were found washed ashore.
The spy sensors are believed to be part of a wider Kremlin strategy to monitor and potentially sabotage critical infrastructure, including the UK’s undersea data cables and gas pipelines. Ellwood claimed the sensors are only one piece of a larger operation, with Russia allegedly deploying mini-submarines and remote seabed platforms to map British undersea networks for future sabotage.
“Ninety percent of our data comes through undersea cables, and 60% of our gas from Norway via a single line,” Ellwood said. “You can see how vulnerable we are. The scale of damage [Russia] could do is enormous—and it’s deniable and cheap to do.”
While the Royal Navy has already commissioned one deep-sea surveillance vessel, the RFA Proteus, Ellwood insisted this was not enough. “We are going to need half a dozen of these vessels, if not more,” he said.
A senior UK military source said: “There should be no doubt, there is a war raging in the Atlantic. This is a game of cat and mouse that has continued since the end of the Cold War and is now heating up again.”
The Ministry of Defence downplayed the report as “speculation” but insisted that Britain’s nuclear deterrent remains secure and undetected, and pledged increased investment in defence including a £5bn budget boost this year and a commitment to raise defence spending to 2.5% of GDP from April 2027.
Meanwhile, Armed Forces Minister Luke Pollard has said the UK has taken a more proactive approach to Russian threats, warning that “all options” remain on the table if UK infrastructure is targeted.
For more political updates, visit London Pulse News.
