Navy bosses feared ‘suspicious pings’ were Russian drones targeting UK nuclear subs – but it was really a farting whale A FARTING whale is thought to have sparked fears that Russian drones were targeting UK nuclear subs.
It was feared that Russia’s deep sea research unit, known as GUGI, was trying to record acoustic signatures of our subs — making them easier to track and putting crews in danger.
The alert came as Defence Secretary John Healey yesterday warned that Russian ships which damage British underwater cables faced being boarded and seized by Marines.
It raised concerns that one of Vladimir Putin’s drone subs had dropped a listening device on to the seabed between the Isle of Raasay and Applecross in North West Scotland.
In November a Navy sub surfaced next to a Russian spy ship loitering over critical undersea infrastructure in the English Channel.
