Russia’s ambassador to the United Kingdom, Andrei Kelin, has not denied claims that Moscow has been placing sensor devices in British waters to monitor the movement of the UK’s nuclear submarine fleet.
Speaking on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Kelin responded to questions concerning a recent Sunday Times investigation which alleged that Russia had deployed underwater sensors around the British Isles. These devices are believed to have been planted to collect intelligence on the Royal Navy’s fleet of Vanguard-class submarines, which carry the UK’s Trident nuclear deterrent.
When asked directly whether he objected to the claims of submarine tracking, Kelin replied, “No”. He continued: “I am not going to deny it, but I wonder whether we really have an interest in following all the British submarine with very old outdated nuclear warheads… all these threats are extremely exaggerated.”
Although the ambassador denied the presence of any threat to the UK, his comments stopped short of rejecting the underlying claim that Russian monitoring of British submarines is taking place. “I’m denying existence of threats for the United Kingdom. This threat has been invented, absolutely, there is no threat at all from Russia to the UK,” he added.
The Sunday Times report, published earlier this month, revealed that British military authorities had located the alleged Russian sensor devices in UK waters and had assessed them as a potential risk to national security. The devices are said to be components of what security analysts describe as “grey zone” or hybrid warfare—covert activities that fall below the threshold of open armed conflict but can serve strategic objectives.
In addition to intelligence-gathering, such hybrid tactics are understood to include sabotage of critical infrastructure. Notably, fears have grown over the vulnerability of undersea communication cables and energy pipelines. British defence officials believe Russia is expanding its capability to operate on the seabed, targeting infrastructure that is vital to national security and the economy.
Earlier this year, the Ministry of Defence published images of a Russian warship, the Boikiy, navigating near British waters. The ship is one of several Russian naval vessels tracked near the UK coastline in recent months.
In January, Defence Secretary John Healey informed Parliament that a Russian ship, the Yantar, had been monitored by the Royal Navy in waters surrounding the UK. The vessel is suspected of being equipped for undersea surveillance and intelligence-gathering missions, including mapping submarine cable routes.
Commenting on the developments, former Conservative minister Tobias Ellwood warned that the UK was “behind the curve” in tracking Russia’s deep-sea activities. He told The Guardian that the deployment of sensors was “only half the story”, alleging that Russia had also established “remote seabed platforms” capable of serving as recharging stations for unmanned submersibles. These platforms, he claimed, are being used to map and potentially target undersea cable networks for future sabotage.
In response to the Sunday Times investigation, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence stated: “We are committed to maintaining and enhancing the security and resilience of critical undersea infrastructure. Just as the defence secretary called out the activities of the Russian spy ship Yantar hovering over our undersea cables, let those who threaten the UK or our allies be in no doubt that we will defend our undersea infrastructure.”
The MoD added that efforts were being stepped up in coordination with NATO and Joint Expeditionary Force allies to prevent unauthorised operations near UK and allied territories. “We are strengthening our response to ensure that Russian ships and aircraft cannot operate in secrecy near the UK or near NATO territory, harnessing new technologies like AI and coordinating patrols with our allies.”
Despite the disclosures, the Ministry of Defence reiterated its confidence in the effectiveness of the UK’s nuclear deterrent. “Our continuous-at-sea nuclear deterrent continues to patrol the world’s oceans undetected as it has done for 56 years,” the spokesperson said.
The UK’s nuclear deterrent is currently maintained through the operation of four Vanguard-class submarines, at least one of which is always on patrol. The precise locations and movements of these vessels are among the most closely guarded secrets of the British defence establishment.
The presence of unauthorised surveillance devices near UK waters raises further questions about the scale of Russian undersea activity and the vulnerability of maritime infrastructure in an increasingly contested strategic environment.
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