Written question asked by Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative) on Thursday, 14 May 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 18 May 2026. It was answered by Al Carns (Labour) on Friday, 22 May 2026 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Arctic: Russia

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential risk of Russian Yasen class submarines transiting the Greenland-Iceland-UK gap.

Answer

While it is not routine practice to comment on the operational activity or intent of individual foreign vessels, the Ministry of Defence keeps all potential threats to the UK under constant review. This includes threats to critical national infrastructure, such as offshore energy installations.

The Government continues to strengthen the protection of critical national infrastructure through the implementation of the Strategic Defence Review. This includes initiatives such as Atlantic Bastion, which enhance the UK’s ability to deter, detect and respond to threats in the maritime domain.

Secondary information

Type: Written question
Reference: 1365
Session: 2026-27
Grouped for answer: Yes
Subjects: Submarines Arctic Russia
Link: View this Written question on www.parliament.uk

Arctic: Russia

Secondary information

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