The Chief of Staff of the British Armed Forces warned of a Russian threat to vital underwater communications

 

 The Chief of Staff of the United Kingdom Armed Forces warned that the activities of the Russian submarine threaten submarine cables, which are crucial for communication systems around the world, writes the British newspaper The Guardian.

Admiral Tony Radakin said the submarine cables that transmit Internet data were "the real information system in the world" and added that any attempt to damage them could be considered an "act of war".

In his first interview since taking up the role, Sir Tony, a former head of the Royal Navy, said there had been a "phenomenal increase in Russian underwater activities" over the past 20 years.

 He added that this means that Moscow could "put at risk and potentially exploit the real world information system, which is submarine cables that run around the world."

"It's mostly all the world's information and traffic. Russia has increased its ability to threaten these submarine cables and potentially exploit these submarine cables.

The navy is monitoring the activities of Russian submarines, and the clash between HMS Northumberland and a Russian submarine has sparked speculation about cable mapping.

 The collision in December 2020 was filmed by a Channel 5 documentary team working on a TV series called Battleship: Life at Sea.

In an interview, Radakin also said that the United Kingdom needs to develop hypersonic missiles to keep up with military competition.

He highlighted Russia's capabilities with hypersonic and long-range missiles as a threat and Britain's corresponding capabilities as a weakness. "We don't have them (and we should have them)," he said.

Radakin said he had informed ministers of Britain's "military choice" if Russia launched an invasion of Ukraine, but did not disclose any additional information.

 Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said earlier that it was "very unlikely" that the United Kingdom would send troops if an invasion occurred, while Britain's The Times reported that cyberattacks "could be an option".

Talks between Moscow, the United States and NATO are scheduled for next week amid tensions over the Russian army's build-up on the border with Ukraine, but NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the Alliance must prepare "for the possibility of diplomacy failing." “.

Foreign Minister Liz Truss called on Russia to end its "malicious activities" against Ukraine.