Optionality required ?20 Apr 2023 00:45
Russian spy ships are mapping wind farms and key communication cables off the coast of Britain as part of plans to sabotage critical infrastructure.
Details of the covert “ghost ships” missions were published as Downing Street and GCHQ chiefs warned of a surge in Russia-aligned hackers aiming to “disrupt or destroy” energy facilities such as power stations.
A fleet of Russian boats, often disguised as fishing trawlers or research vessels but with armed guards, have been observed by European intelligence agencies conducting mass reconnaissance close to British coastal energy and communications networks.
Possible targets are believed to include internet cables, offshore wind farms and connectors carrying electricity and gas pipelines, an investigation found.
One ship doing underwater “research” was tracked touring wind farms off the east coast of the UK, while another is thought to have entered the Moray Firth on Nov 10 last year.
Tobias Ellwood, the Tory chairman of the Commons defence committee, told The Telegraph “the penny must drop” over Russia’s attempts to undermine British security as he called for an expansion of the Armed Forces in the wake of the revelations.
Mr Ellwood said: “We simply can no longer protect our near seas and, rightly, step forward further afield, with our current peacetime-sized Navy, Army and Air Force.”
On Wednesday night, GCHQ chiefs warned that Western nations were battling a surge in Russian hacking activity as Vladimir Putin’s cyber troops set their sights on vital infrastructure.
Oliver Dowden, the Cabinet Office minister, said Russia-aligned hackers who have been attacking Ukraine have “turned their attention to the UK”.
Criminal hacker groups in Russia have increasingly been targeting Western countries in recent months, especially Nato members supporting Ukraine. Experts say “patriotic” young Russians are carrying out cyber attacks against Western organisations and businesses.
National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) bosses have issued a formal warning to critical national infrastructure operators about the renewed threat.
Lindy Cameron, the chief executive of the NCSC, said: “If the UK is to be the safest place to live and work online, then resilience must urgently move to the top of our investment shopping list.”
GCHQ’s security arm also warned of an expansion in mercenary “hacker for hire” operations, in which highly skilled cyber companies offer their services to the highest bidder.
Details of the Russian sabotage plot in the North Sea emerged from a joint investigation by the public broadcasters of Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland. Russia is thought to be drawing up plans in the event of a full-scale war with the West.
There has been an increased focus on the safety of North Sea infrastructure amid heightened tensions with Russia, particularly in the wake of the attack on the Nord Stream pipeline.
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Last year, Ben Wallace,
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