July 3rd 2024.
For the second time since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the Irish Sea has become a hotspot for Putin's submarines. This has caused concern for forces in the area, who are now scrambling to enhance protection measures for both UK and Irish waters. The Kilo-class attack submarines have been conducting missions near the coast of Ireland, raising questions about the legality of their actions.
According to international law, submarines are required to travel on the surface when passing through territorial waters. However, Russia's submarines seem to be disregarding this, leading many to believe that they have broken international law. US officials are also aware of these movements and speculate that it could be a tactic to intimidate the UK for their support of Ukraine.
It was only recently reported by Bloomberg that there had been a second instance of Russian submarines near the UK coast. Just days ago, one of the submarines was reportedly chased away from Cork Harbour in southern Ireland. This is an important location as it serves as the endpoint for a long undersea cable connecting Canada and the UK. The Kilo-class submarine, which has been used in the Ukraine war, was identified as the vessel involved.
A source within the UK military revealed to Bloomberg that the extent of the submarine movements was beyond what UK officials had previously seen. This new development has caused great concern as it shows a significant increase in Russian activity in the area. The submarine previously sent to the Irish Sea 18 months ago was a diesel-electric attack submarine capable of firing cruise missiles, and it seems that this same model is being used in the current situation.
In recent months, Russia has been conducting more military exercises, including joint drills in Cuba. Last month, four Russian vessels, including a nuclear submarine and a naval frigate, were seen crossing the mouth of Havana Bay. These submarines have also been spotted off the coast of Scotland, causing further alarm. Russia has long been an ally of Venezuela and Cuba, and their warships and aircraft have been known to make appearances in the Caribbean.
Interestingly, this mission to Cuba came just two weeks after President Biden lifted an embargo allowing Ukraine to use US-provided weapons against Russia in order to protect Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city. This decision by Biden was met with a threat from Putin, who warned that his military could take "asymmetrical steps" in response. It was shortly after this that the Russian nuclear submarines were seen in Cuba. Additionally, it was discovered that UK security officials were alerted to the presence of these submarines off the coast of Scotland just days before their arrival in Cuba.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]
