Russian activity in the UK’s maritime area of responsibility has risen by 41 per cent this year, Wes Streeting, the Defence Secretary, has said, warning that Britain shares an open sea border with Russia in the High North, according to the Ministry of Defence.
In his keynote at the Atlantic Future Forum on board HMS Prince of Wales in Oslo, Streeting said the threat from Russia is not confined to the other side of the continent. He said: “But the UK too shares an open sea border with Russia – here in the High North.
“That puts the waters of the High North on the frontline of Britain’s security.
“High North security is homeland security.” He said that even as Russia wages war in Eastern Europe, Vladimir Putin is rebuilding its presence in the High North by establishing military bases, introducing restrictions on navigation and strengthening the Northern Fleet, in what he called the causeway from Europe to North America “And the gateway to Britain’s backyard.”
Streeting said the High North is now one of the Royal Navy’s busiest operational theatres, with more than 50 ship visits in 2025 and that presence sustained into 2026, and that Britain has doubled its troop numbers in Norway to 2,000, with one and a half thousand commandos taking part in Exercise Cold Response earlier this year. He said: “Russian activity in the UK’s maritime area of responsibility is up 41% this year.
“And we are rising to meet this challenge.
“We exposed a covert GUGI submarine operation mapping undersea cables in the High North and North Atlantic. Our F-35B fighters intercepted a Russian reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft as it flew close to our Carrier Strike Group.
“We have sanctioned more than 500 shadow fleet vessels. And our interdiction of the Smyrtos in the English Channel in June has proven so disruptive that these ships are now having to find other routes. That means longer journeys and higher costs – damaging the funding of Putin’s war machine.”
Streeting said Britain is procuring eight Type 26 anti-submarine frigates to operate alongside five Norwegian ships, and in the same speech announced that the Royal Navy will buy three Norwegian standardised vessels as mine-hunting motherships, with an option for three more. GUGI is Russia’s Main Directorate of Deep-Sea Research, which operates specialist submarines and survey ships.
The UK Defence Journal has reported on the mothership deal and on General Sir Gwyn Jenkins, the First Sea Lord, warning that Britain has an open border with Russia to its north, and Britain launched Atlantic Bastion to counter Russia at sea.
