John Healey, UK Defence Secretary: Russia’s covert operations

About this episode

John Healey discusses Russia's covert operations targeting the UK's critical infrastructure.

“It was three submarines. We tracked them 24/7 for over a month to make sure that we are able to say to Putin, we see what you’re doing, we’re watching you. It means that if there is ever any damage to our cables or our pipelines, we know we can hold Putin to account. We know he can’t deny it.” Adam Fleming speaks to John Healey, the UK Defence Secretary, after he revealed Russian submarines have been carrying out covert operations over the UK’s deep-sea cables and pipelines, critical to energy and internet traffic. He says the activity could form part of a wider strategy to map infrastructure in peacetime, and target it during conflict. While global attention is focused on the Middle East, he argues Britain cannot be distracted from what he calls its “primary threat”, and that the UK and its Nato allies must remain on constant alert to Russian activity. The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the BBC, including episodes with Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky, and Antonio Guterres, Secretary General of the UN. You can listen on the BBC World Service on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 0800 GMT…

People in this episode

Host: Adam Fleming

Guest: John Healey

Topics covered

• defense
• covert operations
• Russia
• UK politics
• Nato
• energy security

Keywords

• John Healey
• Russia
• covert operations
• UK Defence Secretary
• energy security
• Nato
• submarines
• deep-sea cables
• pipelines

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: BBC World Service, Nato, UN

Places: UK, Russia, Middle East

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