Russian civilian vessels used to spy on undersea cables between Europe and US
An investigation reveals Russian fishing trawlers are conducting espionage operations against critical subsea communications links connecting the United States, Europe, and the UK.
Maritime law limits engagement with civilian ships
Russian President Vladimir Putin approved a 2022 maritime doctrine to mobilize fishing vessels for these missions. Analysis found evidence of over 500 incidents carried out by commercial proxies in international waters. Maritime laws currently severely limit direct engagement with such civilian vessels operating globally.
UK economy relies on secure cable links
The United Kingdom depends on these cables for economic activity totaling approximately 65 billion pounds annually. Disruption to the infrastructure could impact banking, transport, and trans-continental mobile phone data services. Sabotage of undersea cables would threaten critical communications between nations.
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