Russia ‘launched drones to spy on Britain’s nuclear sites’ during 15-month campaign

Experts believe the Kremlin is conducting a massive surveillance campaign over nuclear sites in Europe, including the UK, using drones launched from one of Russia’s shadow fleet tankers.

The findings could end a two-year mystery that began when drones were spotted flying over four sensitive US military bases in the UK. Investigators believed they were flown by live operators, but no launch site was found.

Now experts at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), a London-based think tank, have discovered that HAV Dolphin, a Russian-crewed cargo ship, was docked near Hull at the time. Another ship, the tanker Seasons 1, was also near Essex in the North Sea.

Experts tracking HAV Dolphin’s movements say it is “highly likely” Putin is conducting a drone campaign in NATO airspace across Europe between August 2024 and February 2026. They say this campaign is part of “the Kremlin’s broader, unconventional war on Europe.”

The concerted surveillance campaign targeted nuclear facilities in Britain, France, Belgium and the Netherlands, researchers said.

An analysis of 144 incidents in more than a dozen countries over an 18-month period concluded for the first time that Russian intelligence was operating with “large extent of impunity”. Times.

It warns: “The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) campaign, conducted with significant impunity in European airspace, represents both a series of tactical successes for the Kremlin and a strategic failure of allied air defenses.”

In November 2024, drones were spotted over RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall in Suffolk, RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and RAF Feltwell in Norfolk.

At the time, four B-52 bombers were based at RAF Fairford as part of the American task force.

Drones were also heard buzzing over Lakenheath, where facilities to house nuclear weapons are being built.

The USA has had military bases in England for more than 70 years.

The report’s authors said Moscow’s success stemmed from the “fundamental strategic understanding” that “Europe’s air defense architecture is designed to detect and defeat conventional air threats operating in a recognizable battlespace rather than unmanned aerial vehicles.”

They said it could act as a “network relay system” where ships deploy and recover one or two UAVs and a third provides intelligence to the UAV and its operator.

HAV Dolphin, sailing under the flag of Antigua and Barbuda, is thought to be currently off the coast of Portugal.

Earlier this week, Keir Starmer unveiled his long-awaited defense investment plan (DIP), promising to increase defense spending by £15bn and modernize the armed forces to be prepared to counter drone attacks and the threat posed by Russia.

But the government is yet to announce how almost a third of the plan will be funded, with no decision on where that £4.7bn will come from the Budget in the autumn. This will be a headache for Sir Keir’s likely successor Andy Burnham, who was only informed of the financial “black hole” on Tuesday.

Ministers also recently announced new laws designed to block Russian interference in the UK and warned saboteurs they could be jailed if they deliberately damage vital undersea internet cables around Britain.

Minister Baroness Lloyd said Britain’s message to Putin was simple: “We can see what you are doing and any interference will have serious consequences.”

This is breaking news, more to come…