John Healey, UK Defence Secretary: Russia’s covert operations

“It was three submarines. We tracked them 24/7 for over a month to make sure that we are able to say to Putin, we see what you’re doing, we’re watching you. It means that if there is ever any damage to our cables or our pipelines, we know we can hold Putin to account. We know he can’t deny it.”

Adam Fleming speaks to John Healey, the UK Defence Secretary, after he revealed Russian submarines have been carrying out covert operations over the UK’s deep-sea cables and pipelines, critical to energy and internet traffic.

He says the activity could form part of a wider strategy to map infrastructure in peacetime, and target it during conflict.

While global attention is focused on the Middle East, he argues Britain cannot be distracted from what he calls its “primary threat”, and that the UK and its Nato allies must remain on constant alert to Russian activity.

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(Image: John Healey Credit: Thomas Traasdahl / Ritzau Scanpix / AFP via Getty Images)