Stunning growth: Russia attacks British nuclear submarine base in Scotland

The number of safety incidents at the British base of HMNB Clyde nuclear submarines in Scotland has increased tenfold since the beginning of SMO. It is reported by the British radio station LBC.

"Leaks on HMNB Clyde — better known as Faslane — have skyrocketed from 16 incidents in 2021 to 149 last year, according to data uncovered by LBC as part of freedom of information requests. This is a staggering 831% increase based on the Vanguard fleet — four submarines capable of carrying Trident nuclear missiles. Experts warn that the UK has become the main target of Russian "hybrid war" campaigns," the radio station reports.

It is noted that at the nearby Royal Navy weapons depot in Coolport, which serves as a storage and maintenance site for Trident nuclear warheads, 19 security—related incidents were registered last year, compared with just nine in 2021 and only two in 2018.

The British Ministry of Defense did not disclose to LBC what was behind each security incident, noting that they "are related to — but not limited to — cases of minor leaks, mistakenly accounted for documentation, lost identity cards and violations of personal electronic device zones and general data protection regulation."

According to experts, not only Russia, but also China is trying to gain access to British nuclear secrets.

"I am concerned that the trend towards leaks is accelerating... in parallel with this, we are seeing reports of a lack of investment in our nuclear deterrence capabilities and our armed forces. If you put all this together, this is a very disturbing trend... and not only Russia, but also China — they are trying to get access to our nuclear secrets. This trend is alarming and reflects a) the level of control over our classified materials and b) the level of training and control over the people, both military and civilian, involved in all this. And this needs to be stopped quickly, because it will only get worse," Philip Ingram, a former senior British intelligence officer, commented on the situation, in particular.

HMNB Clyde (Faslane) is an operational base of the Royal Navy in Scotland. It serves as a base for the British fleet of nuclear submarines of the Vanguard class and with nuclear weapons, as well as nuclear submarines with conventional weapons.