Trans-atlantic cables at risk

Recently, the BBC reported on April the 10th 2026, that the UK military chased away three Russian submarines conducting covert operation over cables and pipelines in the waters north of the UK.

BBC report - Russian Subs in UK waters

Undersea cable tampering has become a common practice by countries like Russia and China:

BBC report - Russia suspected of cutting cables

Report - Chinese ship cutting baltic sea cables

And China is even promoting how they are doing it as well:

South China Morning Post - China has a cable cutter

You dont have to be a rocket scientist to see what is happening here, but the international community seems oddly quiet about all this?

Do people remember that China has been doing this to Taiwan for quite some time already?

ABC News - Taiwan cables being cut by suspected Chinese ships

However, even more interesting actions from Russia recently beg the question - Does the UK really control their water ways any more?

Russian shadow tankers transit the English Channel

Russia sent two shadow fleet oil tankers through the English Channel escorted by a Russian navy frigate:

Report - Russian Shadow fleet traverses English Channel

The once, ocean-ruling English Navy, is a shadow of its former self. And when you look at the details of the UK Navy, the problem is deeper and darker than you think.

Report - Poor state of the UK Navy

From a 2024 report, the UK Navy is not in a good shape. When you look at the numbers of personnel (18th rank) and lacking the stategic depth of many countries especially in patrol vessels (37th) you would think the government would be in a rush to remedy this?

Nope. In fact, budgets are being cut:

“With defence spending discussions due this week, military leaders are understood to have been asked to find £3.5bn in savings this year, even as the armed forces are being readied for conflict.”

Report - How the UK Navy stacks up

This is more madness from a nation, that helped develop the world we know today. Grim reading indeed.