Two ships will protect undersea cables, says UK Defence Secretary

Photo Source: By Richard Townshend

Underwater cables that could be attacked by Russia or other hostile foreign powers will be protected by "two specialist ships" according to Defence Secretary Ben Wallace.

According to Wallace, the "mysterious" damage sustained by the Nord Stream gas pipelines in the Baltic on Sept. 26 underscored how "fragile" the British economy is when it comes to attacks on its underwater infrastructure.

Dmitry Peskov, Putin's spokesman, said Russian sabotage claims for the leaks on the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 pipelines were "predictably stupid," but it seems like a terrorist act, perhaps state-level.

In February, Germany halted Nord Stream 2 just before Russia invaded Ukraine, citing a need for maintenance.

Despite Russia's ability to damage and disrupt underwater infrastructure, Wallace said the country has made "no secret" of it.

Wallace said, “our internet and energy are highly reliant on pipelines and cables” and he said: “Our intent is to protect them … I can announce we recently committed to two specialist ships with the capability to keep our cables and pipelines safe.”

3 October 2022