Calls are mounting for enhanced military protection of the Shetland Isles following a surge in Russian naval activity near Scotland's coast, particularly around undersea infrastructure vital to Britain's communications with Europe and North America. According to BBC News, analysis has documented over 500 instances of Russian vessels positioned directly above submarine cables that carry the bulk of international telecommunications traffic. The question of whether Cold War-style military presence should be restored has become a serious policy debate among Scottish and UK politicians.
The strategic importance of undersea cable infrastructure prompted Parliament to issue warnings last year about security vulnerabilities affecting transport, supply chains, financial services and payment systems. Concerns have also been raised about the £30m SaxaVord Spaceport in Shetland, which could become a target given its role in the UK's space strategy. These developments have reignited discussion about whether the islands' defences, substantially reduced since the Cold War ended, now require significant reinforcement.
Why has Russian activity become a concern?
Recent years have witnessed multiple incidents in the Baltic Sea involving damage to or complete severance of underwater cables. In December of the previous year, Finnish police apprehended a vessel departing from Russia that was suspected of damaging a telecoms cable connecting Helsinki to Estonia across the Gulf of Finland.
Shetland itself experienced the fragility of this infrastructure firsthand. In 2022, a subsea cable failure severed the islands from the mainland, and the following year two additional cable breaks disrupted internet services, with one taking weeks to restore. Although no Russian involvement has been alleged in the Shetland incidents, they underscore how vulnerable these systems are and the severe consequences for islanders when damage occurs.
In July, Royal Navy warships and helicopters spent 21 days monitoring Russian activity in UK waters and the North Atlantic, representing a 25 per cent increase compared to previous monitoring periods. More recently, according to the UK Parliament's Library, in April 2026 the UK said its warships and aircraft, alongside allies, monitored Russian undersea naval units over critical infrastructure; the units retreated after being made aware they were being watched. In August 2026, NATO allies, including the UK, reportedly disrupted a Russian exercise aimed at destroying undersea cables. The Telegraph's vessel-tracking analysis identified a Russian trawler following the route of the Shefa-2 cable between Shetland and the Faroe Islands, adding to concerns about deliberate surveillance of Britain's communications lifelines.
What military presence did Shetland have historically?
Jon Sandison, a secondary school history teacher and Shetland tour guide, explained that genuine fears of attack gripped the islands after Germany invaded Norway in 1940 during the Second World War. He noted that Shetland could have served as a stepping stone towards Orkney and the Scottish mainland, prompting substantial military investment.
Numerous army, naval and RAF personnel were stationed throughout the archipelago, and coastal defences were constructed to protect Lerwick and surrounding areas. The SaxaVord Spaceport now occupies a former RAF base, and RAF Skaw was instrumental in detecting enemy aircraft from 1941 onwards. During the Cold War, RAF Saxa Vord became part of NATO's radar network monitoring Soviet activity. The radar station ceased operations in 2006 but was reactivated in 2018 as an automated remote radar head for Arctic surveillance.
Sandison observed that although military presence declined substantially in the latter half of the twentieth century, Shetland's geographical position remained strategically unchanging. He stated:
Where we are in the UK is always going to be a pivotal geographical location in relation to the North Sea, the Arctic Circle and wider scope of Britain.He also noted that coastal infrastructure was constructed with remarkable speed during the Second World War, including air raid shelters and anti-aircraft defences, though little of this infrastructure survives today.
What are Scottish and UK politicians proposing?
First Minister John Swinney has criticised the UK government for leaving Scotland's extensive coastline in a vulnerable state, specifically highlighting waters off Shetland as an area experiencing significant Russian activity. He told BBC Scotland News:
I don't think we've got nearly the presence in those areas that we require today.Swinney has previously expressed serious doubts about UK defences against Russian threats, citing MI5 warnings and criticising military presence north of Shetland.
Liberal Democrat MP Alistair Carmichael, representing the Shetland constituency, has pressed the UK government to strengthen protection of critical infrastructure. Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland Breakfast, he stated:
This is something we do need to be taking seriously. We're not expecting an imminent problem here but this is a time where the government is already telling us that we should all be keeping baked beans and a wind-up torch in a cupboard.Carmichael highlighted that decisions made over the past two decades to withdraw military presence from the northern isles may warrant reconsideration given the changed global environment.
Carmichael noted that for the last 20 years, Shetland has had only one full-time soldier managing a reserve unit, now overseen from the Scottish mainland. He called for restoration of permanent military staffing to support the unit and increased recruitment of reserves in the northern isles, where numbers remain low. He warned:
If the signal that the government is sending the community is that we don't even think its important enough to send one full-time solider to run these units then you can't expect the community themselves to be particularly enthusiastic about it.
What role does the spaceport play in this debate?
SaxaVord in Unst is the UK's first fully-licensed spaceport, with multiple companies interested in launching small satellites into orbit from the site. In September, the UK government announced £30m investment in the project as part of a broader £7.8bn space strategy. Carmichael argued that the spaceport would elevate Shetland's profile as a significant national asset, potentially making it more attractive to adversaries.
The German and UK governments have committed to using SaxaVord to deepen cooperation on space technology. In October, Prime Minister Andy Burnham and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz met in Berlin to announce closer collaboration on economic growth, defence and technology, with SaxaVord identified as a priority for European launch operations. Two German companies are currently competing to conduct the first rocket test in Shetland.
Scott Hammond, chief executive of SaxaVord Spaceport, emphasised the strategic importance of the space programme:
The space strategy is absolutely critical. We're at the heart of the UK government's plans for assured access to space. That's also for our economic and Nato partners.He noted that the UK government has become a majority investor with board representation, though SaxaVord remains a private commercial enterprise.
What is the government's response to these concerns?
A Ministry of Defence spokesperson stated:
We are clear-eyed about the threat Russia poses. Through the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force, we are leading allied activity across the High North, strengthening Nato's northern flank and increasing our ability to respond rapidly to emerging threats. This government is also investing in the capabilities needed to meet those threats, with £1.5bn backing Atlantic Bastion to deliver a next-generation Hybrid Navy and a further £330m to strengthen the protection of critical undersea infrastructure.
The government's commitment to undersea cable protection reflects growing recognition of the threat. On 31 October, the Royal United Services Institute highlighted the potential consequences of cable loss, including disruption to financial transactions, communications, air traffic control and health services. In 2025, a parliamentary committee concluded that the UK had been insufficiently cautious in protecting undersea cables and called for stronger deterrence against malicious damage. In May 2026, the UK government announced plans to consult on tougher protections for subsea internet cables, including stronger penalties for intentional or reckless damage.
What happens next?
The government's planned consultation on tougher subsea-cable protections represents the next stated policy step, though no scheduled date has been announced. The debate over whether this administrative approach, combined with increased naval monitoring and investment in hybrid naval capabilities, will prove sufficient to address Shetland's security concerns remains unresolved. Political pressure from Scottish leaders and local representatives suggests that decisions on military presence and infrastructure protection will continue to feature prominently in defence policy discussions.
