London

The United Kingdom and Norway carried out a joint military operation in the North Atlantic to deter suspected “malign activity” by Russia’s submarines, officials said.

UK Defence Secretary John Healey said the operation involved a frigate, surveillance aircraft, and hundreds of personnel who tracked a Russian attack submarine and two intelligence-gathering vessels near critical undersea infrastructure, including cables and pipelines.

The operation, which lasted over a month, concluded after the Russian vessels withdrew from the area.

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Issuing a warning, Healey said the UK is closely monitoring such activities and stressed that any attempt to damage vital infrastructure would “not be tolerated” and would invite serious consequences.