Russian recon ships and drones spy on subsea cables, pipelines in Europe

British media report that Russian reconnaissance ships and drones are actively collecting data on subsea cables and pipelines in Europe.

According to Ukrinform, the Ukrainian Center for Countering Disinformation (CPD) at the National Security and Defense Council reported this on Telegram.

“British media and analysts report that Russian reconnaissance ships and drones are actively gathering information on subsea cables and pipelines in Europe,” the CPD statement reads.

The UK Defence Secretary John Healey confirmed that Russian intelligence is using the ship Yantar to collect information about underwater infrastructure, and drone activity has been observed near the cables. Subsea cables carry 95% of global internet traffic and up to $10 trillion in daily financial transactions. Analysts note that in the context of the war against Ukraine, the Kremlin likely sees such operations as a way to destabilize the West and pressure Ukraine’s allies. Such sabotage could have consequences not only for defense but also for finance, logistics, and communications.

The CCD reminded that in January the British Parliament launched an investigation into the state and security of subsea communications. Similar risks have been observed elsewhere in Europe, for example, in the Baltic Sea, cases of cable damage are under review.

The Center previously reported other hybrid attacks by Russia on Europe’s critical infrastructure. Notably, there has been a sharp increase in GPS jamming incidents in the Baltic Sea, posing threats to civil aviation.

These operations are part of a systematic Kremlin strategy — weakening Europe through sabotage, disinformation, and intimidation to reduce support for Ukraine.

As Ukrinform reported, the number of Russian hybrid attacks in Europe has surged since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The main targets remain energy, transport, and communications.

From 2014 to 2024, more than 200 incidents were documented from sabotage and disinformation to cyberattacks and GPS jamming. Over 86% occurred after 2022, and in 2024 alone, attacks were six times more frequent than the previous year.

Since the beginning of this year, attacks have targeted subsea cables and water infrastructure, as well as attempts to disrupt air transport across EU countries.