Tobias Ellwood believes that could be particularly vulnerable if several cables were damaged simultaneously.
Fibre optic cables on the sea bed (Image: Getty)
Russia is mapping Britain’s undersea infrastructure and could target multiple cables simultaneously in an attack designed to cause chaos across the UK, Tobias Ellwood has warned. The former defence minister said Moscow was developing a detailed understanding of critical subsea assets across Britain and Europe, raising the prospect of a major act of asymmetric warfare in the North Sea.
Mr Ellwood warned that the consequences of an attack would not be confined to coastal communities where cables come ashore. He said: “No, this is national. It depends on what you’re talking about—whether it’s data, oil, gas, or so forth—but essentially, they link in as a national asset.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin (Image: Getty)
Get the latest news from around the world and more
Invalid email
You agree you are 18 or over. We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. You can unsubscribe at any time. More Info.
Among the locations identified on the Submarine Cable Map, which identifies 63 main cables, are Bude in Cornwall and Lowestoft in Suffolk, both of which have numerous undersea cable connections.
Bude is listed as a landing point for cables including 2Africa, Amitie, Apollo, Atlantic Crossing-1, Europe India Gateway, EXA North and South, FLAG Atlantic-1, Glo-1 and Grace Hopper.
Lowestoft is similarly connected to a string of systems including Circe North, EXA Express, EXA North and South, Farland North, Q&E North, Scylla, Tampnet South and Ulysses 2.
Several other coastal locations, from Holyhead and Newcastle to Portsmouth, Broadstairs and Oxwich Bay, are also linked to subsea infrastructure.
Mr Ellwood said Russia was not simply interested in British assets.nHe said: “Russia is developing a real program of understanding here—not just for British assets, but also across Scandinavia, Denmark, France, and beyond.
“They’re mapping where these are and assessing how easy they are to target for the future.”
The warning comes amid growing fears over the vulnerability of critical infrastructure beneath the sea, much of which carries data, energy and communications between countries.
Mr Ellwood pointed to the destruction of the Nord Stream pipelines as an example of how attacks on subsea infrastructure could escalate. He also warned that Britain could be particularly vulnerable if several cables were damaged at the same time.
Former Tory minister and MP Tobias Ellwood (Image: Getty)
He explained: “If there is going to be a major attack, Russia wouldn’t cut just one cable—it would be carried out across a number of them simultaneously.”
There is some redundancy within Britain’s communications network, meaning data can be diverted when an individual cable is damaged. However, Mr Ellwood emphasised that the remaining cables could quickly become overwhelmed by the additional traffic. He said: “Banking and the City of London would be immediately affected,” adding that operators would attempt to bypass the break by using alternative routes.
“There is a fair bit of redundancy—meaning you can switch traffic to another cable—so there is a little bit of backup, but not a lot.”
The former MP said a concerted attack could therefore create a national crisis, rather than simply causing disruption around a particular landing station.
Get top stories from The Express sent straight to your phone Join us on WhatsApp
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. Read our Privacy Policy
He also highlighted Britain’s limited ability to repair damaged subsea infrastructure. He stressed: “We only have three commercial ships capable of repairing undersea cables, and each requires a naval escort. If more than three cables are clipped at the same time, you get a complete backlog. Russia knows all this.”
Mr Ellwood said the threat represented a fundamental change in modern warfare, arguing that Britain was still too focused on conventional battles rather than attacks designed to disrupt society and the economy.
He said: “Russia is not going to invade Britain; modern warfare is all about this asymmetric disruption.” He believes Moscow’s ultimate objective would be broader than simply damaging infrastructure. Mr Ellwood said Russia wanted to create enough disruption to make the British public question support for Ukraine and turn against the wider Western alliance.
“This is all about their core objective: getting the British public to say, ‘Goodness me, it’s really not worth supporting Ukraine. Why are we doing this when it’s now bleeding across to us?’ That is what Russia is trying to achieve—breaking up NATO and getting us to argue amongst ourselves.”
He also warned that Britain’s vulnerabilities will grow as technology develops, pointing to artificial intelligence and quantum computing as emerging threats to critical infrastructure. Mr Ellwood said the country needed to rethink national resilience, including greater civilian involvement in protecting infrastructure, cyber systems and emergency services.
He said Finland offered a model because of its ability to withstand disruption and deter hostile action. He pointed out: “Training them and giving them a structured role in national service ensures Britain can step up and manage these challenges, whether man-made or natural.”
Migrants just received £11.9bn of Universal Credit – that’s not even most shocking thing
Migrant households have been handed more than £10bn in Universal Credit, Aaron Newbury reveals how Andy Burnham could turn that to his advantage.
Andy Burnham (Image: Getty)
How long can a state last when the number of those financially dependent on it exceeds the number contributing to its coffers? Such a question surely must not be far from the minds of our political leaders. After all, the data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) reports make it seem as if the cliff’s edge is fast approaching.
Earlier this year, the scale of the benefits crisis was laid bare when statistics revealed that about 53.3% of the population take away more than they pay in. Yet as ever, it appears misery begets misery, and for the boffins of Whitehall, the latest development in that miserable state of affairs only deepens the challenges they must overcome.
Now, Daily Express readers are faced with the stark reality that the amount of British taxpayers’ cash handed out to foreign nationals in Universal Credit has broken £10billion. That means around one in every six households that received the handout are foreign nationals, which has predictably sparked fury from the Conservative benches, and sent Reform UK’s contingent into a tizzy.
If those on the Labour side cannot fathom why this might be, they might want to head to their constituencies and ask their voters what they make of it. Those Britons might make note of the fact that the bill has soared by some £4.4bn in just two years – something which leaves many questions yet to be answered. It’s shocking.
Even as rumours swirl in Westminster that the Treasury is greedily eyeing further ways to improve its finances at the expense of our own, we are being told that billions are being spent on those born on other shores.
Few in the UK believe a safety net for the unfortunate should be removed. But many will baulk at the idea that those born overseas should benefit from the work and taxation of working Britons.
We are hardly a country that can boast of a vastly productive economy, coffers overflowing with rivulets of wealth, and all the domestic ills put soundly to bed. Speak to anyone, and they can tell you of lacklustre transport, underfunded local services and an NHS ever hungry for further investment. That’s not to mention the black hole in the national defence budget, which has led to alarm bells from former defence chiefs warning that the country is defenceless.
Before contemplating which other taxes to increase, Andy Burnham and his newly minted Chancellor, John Healey, would do well to take even a cursory look at the excessive abuse of the benefits system. While that goes against the natural instinct of the socialist, who are ever loath to suggest that the instruments of government may well be out of tune with the rest of us, it would serve them well.
Yes, a broader sweep through the ruinously expensive welfare state, the seeds of which were planted and watered by successive Labour governments, is needed. But I fear it would be foolish to think Eyelashes Andy is the man to do it.
His own particular brand of popularity, which, like most socialist operators, consists of taking from the productive to fund ever-growing handouts, prohibits a more constructive look at the system. He still has an easy win before him.
At the stroke of a pen, Mr Burnham could command that foreign nationals cannot receive Universal Credit. Undoubtedly, this would agitate the London lawyers, who would swiftly tut and huff dissapointedly, but it would be well received by the millions of hard-working Britons who struggle with the question: Why should my taxes be handed to foreign recipients?