Russia is launching a deadly new “underwater sabotage sub” capable of diving almost two miles and destroying communications cables.
Up to £8trillion worth of key financial transactions and other data passes daily through the world’s 380 seabed “comms lines,” all of them vulnerable to attack.
Moscow’s naval intelligence spies have been suspected of trying to interfere with the west’s cables for months in a “dirty war” bid to disrupt our economies.
Sources claim a deep-sea version of Russia’s AS -15 Kashalot sub will be launched by a bigger craft called the Belgorod for sea trials next month.
The Royal Navy is in a race to launch a multi-role ocean surveillance ship to guard against Vladimir Putin’s menace, but that will not be ready for operations until 2024.
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A vast network of seabed communications cables is now spread throughout the globe’s ocean beds. They carry 90% of all international web data.
Janes defence specialist Bruce Jones said: “Targeting these undersea cables that are so crucial to western financial infrastructures, economies and the conduct of government could have a catastrophic effect.
"It would be totally disruptive strategically and is a number one priority for the Royal Navy along with maritime reconnaissance to protect against.”
After separating from the Belgorod the Kashalot could also drop explosive devices on the seabed, precisely targeting cables or drag a device that would snip through the cables.
Energy pipelines could also be hit. If that happened, not only would economies be battered but large areas of coastline and ocean could be contaminated for many years to come.
A source added: “Russia is becoming alarmingly willing to adopt dirty war, beneath the threshold of open warfare, tactics to undermine the west.
"The so-called ‘grey zone’ attacks it is launching, from cyber to other forms of espionage, could seriously damage the lives of all of us.”
The Kashalot could also drop devices that would explode if they detect a “signature” noise of a NATO warship.
One target in war could be the UK’s two new £3.5billion aircraft carriers.
The Kashalots are one of Moscow’s most secretive maritime projects.
But documents found on obscure Russian maritime websites prove they are being redesigned for special
deep-sea sabotage missions.
The Belgorod is already earmarked to carry the new 2M39 Poseidon long range nuclear torpedo dubbed the “doomsday missile.”
As revealed in the Mirror the weapon in time of war would be fired and set off near an enemy coastline, triggering a tsunami which would smash coastal defences and infrastructure.
A recent UK paper on the future of defence revealed: “Russia is developing significant underwater capabilities which can threaten undersea cable as well as a torpedo capable of delivering a nuclear payload to coastal targets.”
