Conflict & Security
Report: Russian fishing vessels map UK subsea cables, NATO tracks them
October 22, 2026 at 09:27 AM
The Telegraph's analysis of four years of tracking data found Russian fishing vessels repeatedly positioning over cables linking the UK to Europe and the United States.
- The Telegraph's analysis of four years of satellite data identified Russian fishing vessels repeatedly positioning over cables linking the UK to Europe and the United States.
- NATO is tracking the civilian vessels, which logged 337 hours above the Atlantic Crossing 1 cable north of Scotland, including 322 hours in April 2023.
- A NATO source said allies are fully aware of where the vessels operate and that some have never had a single fish on their decks.
- The UK government plans to impose long prison sentences and unlimited fines on anyone convicted of cable sabotage.