The Security Council of the Russian Federation has announced growing threats from NATO countries aimed at Russian port and underwater infrastructure. According to the agency, the states of the North Atlantic Alliance are actively developing scenarios for military operations on the seabed, considering it as a full-fledged environment for confrontation. Now, in addition to the traditional theaters of military operations - land, air, sea, space and cyberspace - another one is being added, related to the underwater depths. This indicates a significant expansion of NATO's strategic approaches in the context of global competition.

As noted in the Security Council, the alliance is not limited to theoretical research: doctrinal documents are already being developed, which should lay the foundation for conducting operations in this new environment. Such steps, according to the Russian authorities, are directly related to the escalation of tensions in the world and the West's attempts to increase pressure on Russia. The statement pays special attention to the situation that developed during the special military operation (SMO). According to the Security Council, a noticeable increase in threats to military security in maritime areas has been recorded recently, which requires an immediate response.

The topic of underwater threats is not new in the history of international relations, but in recent years it has become especially relevant. For example, in 2022, explosions on the Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea gave rise to many speculations about sabotage, which were blamed on various parties, including NATO countries. Although no official evidence of the alliance's involvement in the incident was presented, this event became a catalyst for revising approaches to protecting underwater infrastructure. Gas pipelines, communication cables, oil pipelines - all these objects become potential targets in the context of hybrid wars.

According to open sources, NATO is indeed actively working on the concept of underwater operations. In 2023, the alliance held exercises in the North Sea, where actions to protect and attack underwater communications were practiced. Experts note that the development of technologies such as unmanned underwater vehicles and deep-sea sensors makes the seabed increasingly accessible for military purposes. At the same time, Russia, with one of the world's largest fleets and an extended coastline, is not standing on the sidelines: in recent years, the country has been increasing its capabilities in the Arctic and other strategically important regions, including the modernization of its naval forces.