Russian Embassy in London Challenges UK Claims of Submarine Threats
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London, April 10 (NationPress) The Russian Embassy in the UK has refuted allegations made by British Defence Secretary John Healey concerning purported Russian submarine operations in the North Atlantic, deeming them to be neither credible nor capable of verification.
Earlier on Thursday, Healey asserted that a month-long operation spearheaded by Britain and Norway had been conducted to monitor Russian submarines in proximity to crucial undersea cables and pipelines in the North Atlantic, as reported by Xinhua news agency.
In their statement, the Russian embassy remarked that it is "impossible to either believe or confirm" Healey's assertion that Britain has been engaged for weeks in countering the "aggression" of an alleged Russian submarine operating in neutral waters with "only a single vessel and a surveillance aircraft."
Healey mentioned that a British warship and aircraft had been dispatched to deter Moscow's "malign" activities, emphasizing that there was "no evidence" of any damage to the UK's infrastructure in the Atlantic.
Addressing Russian President Vladimir Putin, Healey stated: "We see you. We see your activity over our cables and our pipelines, and you should be aware that any attempt to harm them will be met with serious repercussions."
The embassy further noted that London has recently issued "extremely aggressive statements and threats" directed at merchant vessels associated with Russian enterprises and their partners, warning that "should these threats be acted upon, there will be consequences."
Moreover, the embassy asserted that Russia does not pose a threat to the undersea infrastructure vital to the UK and refrains from using aggressive language regarding this matter, attributing the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines to actions by Western nations.