UK defense minister warns Putin of 'serious consequences' after covert underwater military operation

U.K. Defense Minister John Healey warned Russian President Vladimir Putin of "serious consequences" Thursday aft revealing a weeks-long subject cognition to deter Russian meddling successful the North Sea.

"To President Putin I accidental we spot you, we spot your enactment implicit our cables and our pipelines, and you should cognize that immoderate effort to harm them volition not beryllium tolerated and volition person superior consequences," helium cautioned. 

The defence curate elaborate an cognition involving a Royal Navy frigate, a Royal Air Force patrol level and hundreds of unit deployed to deter a trio of Russian submarines that were detected adjacent underwater cables successful Britain’s economical exclusionary zone.

RUSSIA, CHINA VETO UN RESOLUTION AIMED AT REOPENING STRAIT OF HORMUZ, HOURS BEFORE TRUMP DEADLINE

British Defense Secretary John Healey delivers a connection connected caller U.K. operational enactment astatine 9 Downing Street, successful London, Thursday April 9, 2026. (Yui Mok/Pool Photo via AP)

One of the submarines, Healey announced, was a nuclear-powered Akula-class submarine, portion the different 2 were spy submarines from Russia’s Main Directorate of Deep Sea Research, besides known arsenic GUGI. Subs from this portion were directed specifically by Putin "to behaviour hybrid warfare activities against the UK" and its allies, Healey said.

At slightest 1 of those allies, Norway, was progressive successful the deterrent operation, Healey revealed. Norway’s Defense Minister Tore O Sandvik confirmed the practice successful a Thursday statement. 

"Norway has participated successful a coordinated subject cognition with our allies to nonstop a wide message: covert activities successful our waters volition not beryllium tolerated," Sandvik wrote.

The submarines near U.K. waters aft a protracted play of monitoring from the U.K. and Norway, and determination is nary grounds of harm to immoderate underwater infrastructure, Healey said. 

Fox News Digital  has reached retired to the U.K.’s Defense Department for much information. 

The Russian incursion marked the 2nd clip successful little than six months that the U.K. detected Russian oversea trade adjacent its territorial waters. Healey announced a akin subject cognition successful November aft Russia deployed the spy vessel Yantar to the North Sea successful 2025.

TRUMP, STARMER AGREE STRAIT OF HORMUZ MUST REOPEN AS MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT ESCALATES

Russian President Vladimir Putin holds a gathering to sermon the concern successful Dagestan deed by terrible flood via videoconference astatine the Novo-Ogaryovo authorities residence extracurricular Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, April 7, 2026. (Alexander Kazakov, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Healey besides cited this year’s incidental arsenic an illustration of wherefore the U.K. hasn’t sent troops to the Strait of Hormuz, the constrictive waterway successful the Persian Gulf cardinal to planetary vigor markets that Iran has choked disconnected successful caller weeks.

"I recognize radical questioning wherefore each UK subject assets and unit person not been deployed to woody with it. But that is not successful Britain’s nationalist interest," helium said, aboriginal calling Russia "the superior menace to the UK and to NATO." 

President Donald Trump has criticized NATO allies and the enactment itself for not acceding to requests to assistance unfastened the Strait of Hormuz. 

"NATO WASN’T THERE WHEN WE NEEDED THEM, AND THEY WON’T BE THERE IF WE NEED THEM AGAIN," helium wrote successful a Thursday greeting Truth Social post.

Russian unit locomotion connected the gangway to Russian Navy submarine RFS Petropavlosvsk- Kamchatskiy, which is presently connected a larboard sojourn astatine Tanjung Priok Port successful Jakarta, Indonesia, Tuesday, March 31, 2026 (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

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The U.K., portion holding a readying gathering connected however to reopen the Strait of Hormuz aft the Iran War is over, initially refused to fto the U.S. usage a British aerial basal to motorboat subject strikes against Iran. 

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer yet allowed the U.S. to motorboat "defensive strikes" from Royal Air Force bases aft Trump slammed him as "not Winston Churchill."