Britain, Norway Claim to Have Foiled Nefarious Activity by Russians Near Undersea Cables

British Defence Secretary John Healey talks about the Russian submarine’s activities, at 9 Downing Street in London on April 9, 2026. Yui Mok/Pool Photo via APBritish Defence Secretary John Healey said on April 9 that the militaries of the UK and Norway had deterred “nefarious activity” by Russian spy submarines over undersea cables in the North Atlantic in recent weeks.Healey said a Royal Navy frigate, HMS St Albans, and Boeing P-8 maritime patrol planes were involved in tracking a Russian attack sub and two spy submarines in the waters north of Scotland, and the British Ministry of Defence (MOD) said they had been forced to retreat back to Russia.