Oligarch yachts tied to Russian espionage in British seas, officials say

Apr 7

Kalé Carey Anchor

By Kalé Carey (Anchor), William Jackson (Producer), Bast Bramhall (Video Editor)

British defense officials have identified suspected Russian surveillance devices in U.K. waters and launched increased monitoring of strategic undersea zones. They believe the devices may have been placed to track nuclear submarines that form the backbone of the U.K.’s deterrent.
The Royal Navy has deployed the RFA Proteus to monitor foreign underwater activity and track vessels like Russia’s intelligence ship, Yantar, near critical infrastructure.
Officials link the devices and superyacht surveillance to Russia’s broader “grey zone” operations aimed at undermining Western security through covert, nonmilitary actions.

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British military forces have located suspected Russian surveillance devices in the waters surrounding the United Kingdom. Some devices washed ashore, while Royal Navy operations identified others at sea. Defense officials believe Russian operatives placed the devices to monitor Britain’s fleet of Vanguard submarines, which maintain the U.K.’s continuous at-sea nuclear deterrent.

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How do officials interpret the surveillance efforts?

U.K. military sources say the sensors reflect a larger pattern of Russian undersea espionage. According to The Sunday Times, this effort includes unmanned underwater vehicles and deep-sea submarines capable of operating on the seabed.

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While officials have not publicly released the sensors’ precise locations, the U.K. Ministry of Defence maintains that the country’s nuclear deterrent remains secure and undetected.

Have oligarchs’ yachts played a role?

Officials also suspect that Russian oligarch-owned superyachts have conducted reconnaissance missions around British ports. Some yachts reportedly carried “moon pools,” underwater hatches that crews could have used to deploy surveillance gear.

In one 2018 case, a British warship left port early in Cyprus after an oligarch’s yacht moored alongside it, raising concerns about a possible intelligence-gathering operation.

The Royal Navy has ramped up patrols and surveillance, deploying the deep-sea support ship RFA Proteus to counter foreign undersea activity. The ship has tracked Russia’s Yantar, in intelligence vessel equipped to locate, tap or sever underwater cables. The Yantar has appeared near critical infrastructure, prompting close monitoring from British forces.

What steps is the UK taking to strengthen undersea defense?

The Ministry of Defence plans to expand its capabilities with investments in uncrewed submarines, autonomous drones and deep-sea detection systems. Officials are also working to build public-private partnerships with energy and telecom firms to help safeguard vital undersea infrastructure, such as internet cables and gas pipelines.

How does this fit into Russia’s broader strategy?

Defense leaders say these undersea activities align with Russia’s “grey zone” tactics — covert operations that avoid outright conflict while undermining adversaries. Recent incidents have intensified concerns, including damage to Baltic Sea internet cables and the 2022 Nord Stream pipeline explosion.

Officials view the U.K.’s renewed investments in seabed surveillance and deterrence as necessary steps to meet growing strategic threats.

Tags: Navy, Russia, Russian Defense Ministry, U.K. Ministry of Defense, United Kingdom

[Kale Carey]

BRITISH DEFENSE OFFICIALS HAVE UNCOVERED SUSPECTED RUSSIAN SPY DEVICES IN THE WATERS SURROUNDING THE UK. THE DISCOVERY COMES AMID INTELLIGENCE SUGGESTING OLIGARCH-OWNED SUPERYACHTS MAY HAVE AIDED RUSSIAN EFFORTS TO MONITOR NUCLEAR SUBMARINES AND CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE — PART OF WHAT OFFICIALS DESCRIBE AS A GROWING CAMPAIGN OF UNDERWATER ESPIONAGE.

THE ROYAL NAVY DISCOVERED SOME DEVICES DURING OPERATIONS, WHILE OTHERS WASHED ASHORE, ACCORDING TO THE SUNDAY TIMES. OFFICIALS BELIEVE RUSSIA PLANTED THEM TO TRACK THE U.K.’S NUCLEAR-ARMED VANGUARD SUBMARINES, WHICH MAINTAIN THE COUNTRY’S CONTINUOUS AT-SEA DETERRENT.

BRITISH MILITARY SOURCES CITED IN THE REPORT SAY THE FINDINGS REFLECT A BROADER RUSSIAN CAMPAIGN OF UNDERWATER ESPIONAGE THAT INCLUDES THE USE OF UNMANNED VEHICLES AND DEEP-SEA SUBMARINES. THE U.K. DEFENSE MINISTRY HAS NOT PUBLICLY DISCLOSED THE LOCATIONS OF THE SENSORS BUT MAINTAINS THE COUNTRY’S NUCLEAR DETERRENT REMAINS UNDETECTED.

IN ADDITION, OFFICIALS SUSPECT RUSSIAN OLIGARCH-OWNED SUPERYACHTS HAVE CONDUCTED RECONNAISSANCE NEAR U.K. PORTS. THE TIMES REPORTS THAT SOME YACHTS CARRIED “MOON POOLS,” OR UNDERWATER ACCESS HATCHES, WHICH CREWS COULD HAVE USED TO DEPLOY SURVEILLANCE EQUIPMENT.

ONE FORMER MINISTER RECALLED A 2018 INCIDENT WHERE A BRITISH WARSHIP LEFT PORT IN CYPRUS AFTER A NEARBY SUPERYACHT RAISED SUSPICION OF INTELLIGENCE GATHERING.

THE ROYAL NAVY HAS INCREASED SURVEILLANCE, DEPLOYING THE DEEP-SEA VESSEL R-F-A PROTEUS TO MONITOR THREATS. THE SHIP HAS TRACKED THE RUSSIAN SPY VESSEL YANTAR MULTIPLE TIMES — YANTAR IS CAPABLE OF INTERFERING WITH UNDERSEA CABLES.

TO COUNTER THE THREAT, THE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE IS INVESTING IN UNMANNED SUBMARINES, SURVEILLANCE DRONES, AND PARTNERSHIPS WITH PRIVATE INDUSTRY TO BETTER PROTECT INFRASTRUCTURE.

OFFICIALS SAY THESE ACTIONS REFLECT RUSSIA’S BROADER “GREYZONE” STRATEGY—COVERT OPERATIONS DESIGNED TO AVOID DIRECT CONFLICT WHILE DESTABILIZING WESTERN SECURITY.

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