The Russian spy ship stalking Europe’s subsea cables

There is a perception that in 2022 and 2023, GUGI was in a crouch,” says Sidharth Kaushal, a maritime security expert at the Royal United Services Institute think-tank in London. During this period, activity was irregular. But as the war continued, the Russians understood where Nato allies’ thresholds were. “By late 2023, early 2024, Moscow was becoming more accepting of risk, they were no longer pulling back assets,” Kaushal says.