The Russian Embassy in Britain has rejected British Defence Secretary John Healey’s assertion of Russian submarine operations in the North Atlantic as not credible or verifiable. Healey had disclosed that Britain and Norway conducted a month-long mission to monitor Russian submarines near crucial undersea cables and pipelines in the North Atlantic. The embassy stated that it was impossible to trust or confirm Healey’s statement that Britain thwarted the “aggression” of an alleged Russian submarine in neutral waters with just one vessel and a surveillance aircraft.
A British warship and aircraft were utilized to deter what was described as Moscow’s “malign” behavior, with no proof of any harm to UK infrastructure in the Atlantic. Healey directly addressed Russian President Vladimir Putin, warning against any attempts to harm the cables and pipelines, emphasizing that such actions would not be tolerated and would result in severe consequences. The Russian embassy criticized London for issuing aggressive statements and threats towards merchant ships linked to Russian entities, cautioning of repercussions if these threats materialize.
According to the embassy, Russia does not pose a threat to critical undersea infrastructure in Britain and does not employ aggressive language on the matter. The responsibility for any sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines, the embassy claimed, lies with Western nations.
