Russian warships near Portugal signal threat to NATO, target undersea cables

Joao Fonseca Ribeiro, a retired Portuguese navy commander, noted that the Russian fleet near or in Portugal's territorial waters includes so-called research ships, primarily tasked with spying on the Atlantic Ocean's floor.

In an interview with CNN Portugal, Ribeiro elaborated that these ships aim to pinpoint the locations of undersea cables essential for telecommunication data transmission.

Ribeiro also highlighted that the increasing frequency of Russian ships near Portugal and Spain represents a threat not just to these nations but to other NATO members as well. The significance of the underwater data transmission cables heightens this threat.

The Madrid-based "El Debate" newspaper corroborated this information, reporting that in the aftermath of the Ukraine war's outbreak, Russian research ships, along with other naval units such as frigates - notably the Admiral Gorshkov or Admiral Grigorovich, have often been noticed near the Iberian Peninsula.

Moreover, "El Debate", citing the Spanish army's command, mentioned that the Russian naval presence near the Iberian Peninsula shores includes submarines as well.