British Defense Secretary John Healey revealed on Thursday that three Russian submarines were detected near the UK gathering intelligence on critical undersea pipelines and telecommunication cables in the Atlantic. Healey displayed photos of the vessels, part of a covert operation Healey believes was designed to distract attention from Russian aggression elsewhere. The UK military tracked the submarines for over a month in cooperation with Norway and other allies, deploying frigates, helicopters, and sonar buoys.

Healey stated the submarines were collecting peacetime intelligence on the global network of cables and pipelines, potentially enabling future attacks during conflict. While the UK military monitored the vessels without engagement, Healey warned any attempt to damage the infrastructure would face 'serious consequences.' He framed the operation as a response to criticism of UK military focus on the Middle East and dismissed President Trump's recent criticisms of the UK military as inaccurate. Healey also suggested President Putin timed the operation to exploit distractions from the Middle East conflict.