UK defense minister warns Putin of ‘serious consequences’ after covert underwater military operation

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U.K.Defense Minister John Healey warned Russian President Vladimir Putin of “serious consequences” Thursday after revealing a weeks-long military operation to deter Russian meddling in the North Sea.

“To President Putin I say we see you, we see your activity over our cables and our pipelines, and you should know that any attempt to damage them will not be tolerated and will have serious consequences,” he cautioned.

The defense minister detailed an operation involving a Royal Navy frigate, a Royal Air Force patrol plane and hundreds of personnel deployed to deter a trio of Russian submarines that were detected near underwater cables in Britain’s economic exclusionary zone.

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British Defense Secretary John Healey delivers a statement on recent U.K.operational activity at 9 Downing Street, in London, Thursday, April 9, 2026.(Yui Mok/Pool Photo via AP)

One of the submarines, Healey announced, was anuclear-powered Akula-class submarine, while the other two were spy submarines from Russia’s Main Directorate of Deep Sea Research, also known as GUGI.Subs from this unit were directed specifically by Putin “to conduct hybrid warfare activities against the UK” and its allies, Healey said.

At least one of those allies, Norway, was involved in the deterrent operation, Healey revealed.Norway’s Defense Minister Tore O Sandvik confirmed the cooperation in a Thursday statement.

“Norway has participated in a coordinated military operation with our allies to send a clear message: covert activities in our waters will not be tolerated,”Sandvikwrote.

The submarines left U.K.waters after a protracted period of monitoring from the U.K.and Norway, and there is no evidence of damage to any underwater infrastructure, Healey said.

K.’s Defense Department for more information.

The Russian incursion marked the second time in less than six months that the U.K.detected Russian seacraft near its territorial waters.Healeyannounced a similar military operation in November after Russia deployed the spy ship Yantar to the North Sea in 2025.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin holds a meeting to discuss the situation in Dagestan hit by severe flood via videoconference at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, April 7, 2026.(Alexander Kazakov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Healey also cited this year’s incident as an example of why the U.K.hasn’t sent troops to the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway in the Persian Gulf key to global energy markets that Iran has choked off in recent weeks.

“I understand people questioning why all UK military assets and personnel have not been deployed to deal with it.But that is not in Britain’s national interest,” he said, later calling Russia “the primary threat to the UK and to NATO.”

President Donald Trump has criticized NATO allies and the organization itself for not acceding to requests to help open the Strait of Hormuz.

“NATO WASN’T THERE WHEN WE NEEDED THEM, AND THEY WON’T BE THERE IF WE NEED THEM AGAIN,” he wrote in a Thursday morning Truth Social post.

Russian personnel walk on the gangway to Russian Navy submarine RFS Petropavlosvsk-Kamchatskiy, which is currently on a port visit at Tanjung Priok Port in Jakarta, Indonesia, Tuesday, March 31, 2026(AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

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The U.K., while holding a planning meeting on how to reopen the Strait of Hormuz after the Iran War is over,initially refused to let the U.S.use a British air base to launch military strikes against Iran.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer eventually allowed the U.S.to launch “defensive strikes” from Royal Air Force bases after Trumpslammed him as “not Winston Churchill.”