Russia’s naval activity near undersea cables is reportedly drawing the scrutiny of US officials, further sparking concerns that the Kremlin may be plotting to “sabotage” underwater infrastructure via a secretive, dedicated military unit called the General Staff Main Directorate for Deep Sea Research (GUGI).
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Knocking out internet and telecommunications traffic traveling across these fiber-optic cables would have a devastating effect on government, military, and private-sector communications.
More than 95 percent of international data flows through those submarine cables, which puts them at increasing risk of both cyber and physical attacks .
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Last year, public broadcasters of Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Finland uncovered a Russian fleet of suspected spy ships operating in Nordic waters, reportedly for purposes of sabotaging both submarine cables and wind farms.
**In addition to communications, the cables also carry electricity between European countries. **
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“Any activities that damaged seabed infrastructure including undersea cables especially during periods of heightened tensions risks misunderstandings and misperceptions that could lead to unintended escalation,” [said an] US official. “The US would be especially concerned about damage to our or our allies’ critical undersea infrastructure.”
Let em sink.