6 September (Index treasure)- The US has detected increased Russian military activity near key undersea cables. It now believes Russia may be more likely to sabotage them. Two US officials told USA news that these cables are critical to global communications.
Russia is now focused on building a dedicated military unit. It would deploy a fleet of surface ships, submarines, and naval drones, an official said. Its Russian acronym, GUGI, means “General Staff Main Directorate for Deep-Sea Research.” It identifies the unit.”
A US official informed US news about rising Russian naval activities globally. He suggested that Russia might be targeting US and allied underwater infrastructure. “Russia is enhancing its sabotage capabilities underwater, mainly through GUGI,” he said. GUGI is a secret unit that controls ships, submarines, and naval drones.
The US often monitors Russian ships near vital undersea sites, even those far from Russia, an official said. This marks the first report of US concern over a secretive Russian unit’s undersea activities. US news has sought a comment from the Russian Ministry of Defense.
Undersea cables are vital for global internet and telecom traffic. Most communications and internet traffic travel via high-speed fiber-optic cables. They are installed along the ocean floor. A coordinated attack could disrupt private, government, and military communications. It would also harm industries reliant on those cables, like finance and energy.
Undersea cables also carry vast amounts of electricity among several European countries.
The US and its allies watch for Russian naval activity near key undersea cables. These cables are vital to global communications. In April 2023, NATO patrol vessel commanders told US News they had seen more activity over undersea cables in the Baltic Sea in recent years.
Russia is closely monitoring Northern Europe’s seas. A joint investigation by public broadcasters from Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Finland revealed a fleet of suspected spy ships in these waters. They might be aiming to sabotage undersea cables and wind farms. The broadcasters, using data analysis and intercepted radio, tracked fifty ships in the area over several years. They used underwater surveillance to map attack sites.
Taiwanese and US forces have seen similar activity by the Chinese Navy in waters around Taiwan. I reported this in “The Return of Great Powers” in March. “In February 2023, Elisabeth Braw wrote in Foreign Policy, ‘The activity looks like targeted harassment by Beijing. Or, it’s a drill to prepare for cutting off all of Taiwan.'”
Russia’s war against Ukraine hasn’t stopped its threatening activities. A US official told Index treasure that the Russian leadership highly values GUGI. They continue to fund it, even during the war.
The US would view any sabotage of undersea infrastructure as a major escalation of Russian aggression beyond Ukraine.
“Damaging activities, including to undersea cables, risk misunderstandings in tense times.”” They could lead to unintended escalation,” the US official told USA news. “The US would be especially concerned about damage to our, or our allies’, critical undersea infrastructure.””
