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Allied Forces Intercept Russian Submarines Over Svalbard Cable Threat

By Drooid · Sep 11, 2026, 8:44 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Norwegian, British and U.S. forces intercepted Russian submarines training to sabotage Svalbard cables.
Russia’s Main Directorate for Deep Sea Research (GUGI) ran the drill with deep-sea submersibles.
British, Norwegian and American forces forced the vessels to leave the area.
No cables were damaged; the exercise simulated a weapon leaving no forensic evidence.
Defence Minister Tore Sandvik said the action warned Russia against covert attacks on 1,400-km Svalbard-Norway fiber-optic cables.

History

Historical Context

Operation Ivy Bells, a 1974 United States Navy mission that tapped Soviet underwater communication cables, exposed Cold-War undersea espionage. The operation, conducted by the USS Halibut and the CIA, installed a listening device at 3,000 meters depth, costing roughly $30 million. Today, Norwegian, British and U.S. forces confronting Russia’s GUGI submersibles near Svalbard echo Ivy Bells’ focus on protecting critical fiber-optic links from covert sabotage. The episode reinforced NATO’s Arctic surveillance doctrine, prompting expanded under-sea monitoring programs and diplomatic warnings that deter future clandestine cable attacks.

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Story summary

Norwegian, British and U.S. forces intercepted Russian submarines training to sabotage Svalbard cables.
Russia’s Main Directorate for Deep Sea Research (GUGI) ran the drill with deep-sea submersibles.
British, Norwegian and American forces forced the vessels to leave the area.
No cables were damaged; the exercise simulated a weapon leaving no forensic evidence.
Defence Minister Tore Sandvik said the action warned Russia against covert attacks on 1,400-km Svalbard-Norway fiber-optic cables.

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