Britain’s Defence Secretary, John Healey, has issued a clear warning to President Vladimir Putin, declaring that the UK is watching Russian undersea activity and is ready to act. Speaking during an operational flight aboard an RAF Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, Healey said that Russian submarines are being tracked and monitored around UK and NATO waters, and that Moscow should take notice. According to ministry briefings, Russian submarine activity in the North Atlantic has surged, returning to levels reminiscent of the Cold War era. Healey emphasised that the UK and its allies are not only observing but also hunting subs and vessels engaged in intelligence-gathering around critical maritime and undersea infrastructure.
The flight in question took place over waters used by Russian naval assets and was described as part of a broader push by the UK’s Ministry of Defence to intensify surveillance and threat-response readiness in sea lanes and maritime approaches. Healey told reporters that the aircraft and its sensors allow Britain to send a message: “We’re watching you; we’re hunting your subs.” He added that Russia is “challenging us; it’s testing us” and that the UK must be prepared for any threat to territorial or allied waters. The ministry has pointed to multiple recent incidents in which Russian vessels appeared to loiter near UK undersea cables and offshore infrastructure, raising concerns of espionage or sabotage. These warnings come amid broader NATO concern about Russian ‘grey zone’ operations and increased submarine activity in the Greenland–Iceland–UK gap and other strategic maritime corridors.
The reaction from defence analysts has been mixed: some view Healey’s remarks as a strong deterrent message aimed at Moscow, signaling that the UK is taking a more assertive posture in maritime defence. Others caution that such public statements carry risk of escalation, as Russia may respond with counter-deployments or increased probing operations. Nonetheless, the UK government is advancing plans to deploy additional maritime patrol assets, enhance submarine-detection capability, and bolster cooperation with NATO allies in the North Atlantic and Arctic approaches.
Looking ahead, the UK is expected to continue high-tempo submarine hunting and surveillance operations and to issue further warnings to Russia if activity continues. The government has indicated that protecting undersea infrastructure — including cables, pipelines and other critical maritime assets — will be a significant focus in coming months. Healey’s message to Putin is clear: the UK watches, and is ready to act.
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