Karmactive Team
NATO allies caught Russian submarines training to disable critical undersea internet cables near the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard this spring, a Reuters investigation has revealed. The covert operation involved Russia’s secretive GUGI deep-sea warfare unit using a weapon designed to cut cables without leaving fingerprints. Three European spy chiefs have warned Russia could test NATO in the near term.
According to two Western officials speaking to Reuters, a joint operation involving Britain, Norway, and the United States tracked and confronted Russian vessels near Svalbard in spring 2026. The Russian submarines belonged to GUGI, Moscow’s Main Directorate of Deep-Sea Research. They were rehearsing the deployment of a sophisticated cable-disabling technology.
The vessels were prevented from completing their exercise and eventually left the area. No subsea cables were damaged. But the discovery of a new weapon, the location of the operation, and US involvement have not been reported until now.
The Gambit Below the Surface
Russia’s GUGI submersibles can dive to 4,000 metres, while the two subsea fibre-optic cables linking Svalbard to mainland Norway lie at depths of up to 2,700 metres. The submarines can physically reach the cables. The cables carry satellite data downloaded at the SvalSat ground station, the world’s largest, which is part of NASA’s Near Space Network.
Cables no thicker than a garden hose, lying on the seabed or buried just below, are critical to global internet connectivity and financial transactions. Since 2023, drifting — ships sailing slowly over sensitive subsea infrastructure — has risen sharply. In 2025, drifting in the North Sea reached record levels, up from the previous year, according to maritime risk firm Windward.
The Leipzig Connection
Three European spy chiefs — from the Czech Republic, Sweden, and Latvia — told The Guardian that Russia’s covert campaign against European targets is entering a more aggressive phase. Czech intelligence chief Vaclav Malek described the Leipzig Airport drone incident as “a gamechanger.”
In early August, a device left at Leipzig Airport contained an explosive. German investigators traced it to Russia’s military intelligence directorate. The spy chiefs warned that Moscow’s threshold for direct action against NATO territory is lower today than at any point since the Cold War.
US intelligence analysts are increasingly concerned Russia may test NATO’s mutual defence pact, known as Article 5, according to three US officials who spoke to Reuters. The cable sabotage drill and the Leipzig Airport drone incident may be part of a coordinated Russian hybrid campaign — not isolated events — a connection most outlets have not drawn.
Priority PAA
What happens if undersea cables are cut? About 97% of international internet traffic flows through undersea cables. If key cables near Svalbard or the Baltics are cut, transatlantic internet could slow or drop for days, and repair ships need 2-3 weeks to reach deep-sea breakage points. Financial transactions, cloud services, and video calls would all be affected.
Bottom Line
NATO’s Baltic Sentry mission continues to monitor undersea cable routes, and Russia’s GUGI unit remains under scrutiny. Britain and Norway imposed sanctions on GUGI in April 2026. Washington and London have both sanctioned the directorate. The investigations continue.
