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UK defence secretary issues warning to Putin: ‘We are monitoring you’
John Healey, the Defence Secretary, has a strong message for Russian President Vladimir Putin: “We are actively tracking your submarines.” He has highlighted a concerning “30% increase in Russian vessels encroaching on UK waters”, indicating a surge in “Russian aggression on multiple fronts” impacting not only Europe but beyond, including Ukraine. The Ministry of Defence has disclosed that Russian submarine activity in the North Atlantic has reached levels reminiscent of the Cold War era.
The Royal Air Force (RAF) and Royal Navy have intensified their surveillance of the North Atlantic, a region where Russian submarines are notably active. The RAF conducts missions nearly daily, sometimes operating 24/7 and often collaborating with other Nato allies. BBC News accompanied the defence secretary on a flight aboard one of the RAF’s new P-8 aircraft, marking the first instance where media were permitted to observe an active mission.
During the observation of crew members at work, Healey emphasized, “Russia is posing challenges, testing our limits, and closely monitoring our activities. However, these aircraft afford us the capability to convey to Putin – we are watching you; we are hunting your submarines.” The crew initially monitored multiple surface vessels, employing the aircraft’s cameras to inspect any suspicious equipment or activities. Last year, an RAF P-8, aided by the Royal Navy, surveilled the Russian spy ship, Yantar, which was reportedly lingering above undersea cables in the Irish Sea.
Furthermore, they transitioned the mission to tracking submarines. The aircraft accommodates 129 sonar buoys, both active and passive, for detecting underwater sounds. In August, the RAF, collaborating with US and Norwegian P-8s, trailed a Russian submarine shadowing the American aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R Ford, during exercises in the North Atlantic. The joint missions underscore the international concern regarding Russia’s potential disruption of crucial undersea cables as part of its hybrid warfare strategy
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