Russia May Be Planning To Cut Internet Cables Under Sea, US Intelligence Shows Concern

Russia may be planning to cut internet cables under the sea, according to some U.S. intelligence and military officials. The cables under the sea control almost all internet communications in the world.

According to reports, Russian spy ships and submarines are dangerously close to those important cables under the sea. While there is no evidence yet that Russia has plans of attacking those cables, some U.S. officials have expressed their concern in the context of Russia’s military activity around the world.

The concern also shows how the United States has started watching every step by Kremlin with utter distrust. NY Times reported that the situation is “reminiscent of relations during the Cold War.”

Washington Navy spokesman Cmdr. William Marks refused to discuss specific of such concern. “It would be a concern to hear any country was tampering with communication cables; however, due to the classified nature of submarine operations, we do not discuss specifics,” he said.

There is growing concern in Washington over Russia’s political intensions. While Rear Adm. Frederick J. Roegge, commander of the Navy’s submarine fleet in the Pacific, did not comment on the concern over Russia attacking internet cables, he said he was skeptic.

“I’m worried every day about what the Russians may be doing,” Roegge said.

According to researcher Michael Sechrist, the damage in network cables can secretly be done. “The risk here is that any country could cause damage to the system and do it in a way that is completely covert, without having a warship with a cable-cutting equipment right in the area,” The Independent quoted him as saying. “Cables get cut all the time - by anchors that are dragged, by natural disasters.”

A U.S. submarine named after former President Jimmy Carter is believed to be capable of listening into the communications passing through underwater cables.