Last week, the armed forces of France, Great Britain and Norway tracked the movement of a probable Russian submarine off the west coast of Ireland. NATO allies are concerned about the possibility of a Russian attack on cables and pipelines, as well as Ireland's inability to contribute to its own defense. Times.
A French Breéguet 1150 Atlantic aircraft was said to be conducting surveillance near County Clare on Tuesday, May 28, before the UK and Norway dispatched a Boeing Poseidon P-8 anti-submarine warfare aircraft to the area near the towns of Sligo and Donegal.
The publication notes that Russian attack submarines are often present in international waters off the coast of Ireland, but their location has raised concerns at the highest levels of the Defense Forces and among European allies. The Corrib gas pipeline and an important submarine cable pass through the area.
“Tracking submarines — that's what these planes are used for. The fact that the planes take turns watching what's going on shows that each country is unable to do this job on its own. The tracking effort shows how serious they are about what's going on. It also shows that Ireland is unable to defend itself. The Irish would be involved in this operation if they had something to help”, — said Keir Giles, a Russia analyst at London-based think tank Chatham House.
Top of the list of issues affecting Ireland is the threat posed by Russia to undersea gas pipelines and fiber optics cables connecting Europe and North America.
Earlier, European special services warned that Russia was preparing sabotage in EU countries before next weekend's elections.
The consequences of any sabotage in Ireland would be profound and highlight Ireland's inability to defend its territory, analysts say.