Russian ambassador to Britain Andrei Kelin did not deny allegations that Russia has placed sensors in waters around the United Kingdom to track British submarines. This was reported by the BBC, citing a statement by the diplomat, BTA reports.
Kelin said that Moscow does not deny having tracked British submarines, but rejected the suggestion that such actions pose a threat to the country's security.
„I will not deny it, but I wonder if we really have an interest in tracking all British submarines with outdated nuclear warheads. "All these claims are greatly exaggerated," the ambassador said.
He stressed that Russia does not pose a threat to Britain:
“This threat is fabricated. There is absolutely no real threat from Russia.“
His comments came after a journalistic investigation by the Sunday Times newspaper, which alleged that Moscow had deployed underwater sensors around the British coast to collect intelligence on four British nuclear submarines. According to the newspaper, the British military had discovered the devices and viewed them as a potential threat to national security.
The BBC notes that such activity is part of the Kremlin's hybrid warfare, which also includes sabotaging critical infrastructure such as energy pipelines.
In March, the Royal Navy published photographs of a Russian warship seen near British territorial waters. Two months earlier, Defence Secretary John Healy told parliament that a Russian spy ship had been spotted in the area, carrying out mapping activities on the country's underwater infrastructure.
“With our allies, we are stepping up our response – using new technology, including artificial intelligence, and coordinating patrols to ensure that Russian ships and aircraft do not operate unhindered near the UK or NATO territory,“ a British Ministry of Defence spokesman said.