Nato forces chased away Russian ships in Arctic waters that were training to attack undersea cables with a secret sabotage weapon deployed by submersible craft, Reuters has reported, citing western officials. Reuters said its sources declined to detail how the technology works. The confrontation took place near the remote Svalbard archipelago. British and Norwegian officials took their findings to Moscow to show they were aware of the new technology. CIA director John Ratcliffe’s visit to Moscow in August was partly to warn Russia against escalating sabotage operations in Europe, Reuters said, citing two people familiar with the matter. The US has not publicly explained Ratcliffe’s trip.
The Norwegian defence minister, Tore Sandvik, told Reuters: “Through our joint operation, we sent a clear message to Russia that they cannot operate covertly … It is in no one’s interest to escalate tensions in the High North.” Britain’s defence ministry pointed to previous statements about attempted covert activities in and near Norwegian and British waters by Russia’s “deep-sea research directorate”, known by the acronym GUGI, which is under international sanctions. The White House did not respond to a comment request, Reuters said, while the CIA declined to comment.
