UK Leads NATO Partners in Russian Submarine Hunt Across Northern Seas
WHO:
Business Insider Africa - The 10 NATO members named for the initiative are Britain, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden.
Business Insider Africa - The UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) is the framework for the cooperation.
Business Insider Africa - UK Defence Secretary John Healey said Royal Navy warships and RAF surveillance aircraft monitored Russian submarines.
UNITED24 Media - Britain’s Chief of the Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton, discussed the Russian threat and the UK’s response.
WHAT:
Business Insider Africa - The 10 NATO members plan to strengthen naval, air, and ground operations to monitor Russian submarine movements; the arrangement expands existing JEF cooperation rather than creating a new alliance.
Business Insider Africa - In April 2026, British forces tracked three Russian submarines near North Atlantic cables and pipelines: one Akula-class attack submarine and two specialised vessels belonging to Russia’s Main Directorate of Deep-Sea Research, known as GUGI.
Business Insider Africa - Healey said British forces monitored the submarines for more than a month and warned that the specialised vessels could survey underwater infrastructure and potentially sabotage it during a conflict.
Business Insider Africa - Healey told Russian President Vladimir Putin, “We see you, we see your activity over our cables and pipelines.”
Business Insider Africa - A Reuters investigation reported that British, Norwegian, and US forces disrupted a suspected Russian operation near Norway’s Svalbard archipelago; two Western officials said Russian vessels tested technology intended to disable undersea communications cables without identifiable evidence. The vessels withdrew before completing the operation, and no cables were damaged.
UNITED24 Media - An investigation identified 17 Russian fishing vessels making more than 500 suspicious movements near undersea cables linking Britain with Europe and the United States.
UNITED24 Media - Knighton cited targeted killings, sabotage, and cyberattacks as hostile activities attributed to Russia, said “hybrid activity” no longer adequately describes their seriousness, and called the security environment the most dangerous period of his adult life.
WHERE:
UNITED24 Media - The proposed operations cover the North Atlantic, Arctic, and Baltic Sea.
Business Insider Africa - The April submarine tracking took place near critical cables and pipelines in the North Atlantic; the reported cable-disabling exercise occurred near Svalbard, Norway.
Business Insider Africa - Algeria has hosted Russian submarines at least three times for official naval engagements in the Mediterranean Sea; the article reports no links to espionage or sabotage.
WHY:
Business Insider Africa - The initiative follows concerns about Russian naval activity near undersea cables, pipelines, and shipping routes linking Europe, North America, and Africa.
UNITED24 Media - Allies cite the strategic importance of shipping routes, military access points, and undersea communications infrastructure, as well as the potential consequences of cable disruption.
UNITED24 Media - Melting Arctic ice is opening additional maritime routes and increasing the region’s importance for commercial shipping and military operations.
HOW:
Business Insider Africa - The members are expected to formalise the arrangement aboard the British aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales.
UNITED24 Media - The proposed cooperation is intended to improve allied forces’ ability to detect, monitor, and respond to Russian submarine operations through closer coordination of naval, air, and land forces.
(UPDATED November 9, 2026 04:01 UTC)
Ten NATO allies are expanding cooperation to monitor Russian submarines near underwater infrastructure. The UK-led effort coordinates naval, air, and ground forces across northern waters. Britain says forces tracked Russian submarines near North Atlantic cables and pipelines.