Russia is allegedly using fishing trawlers to gather intelligence on strategically important undersea cables connecting Britain with the United States and Europe, The Independent reports, citing informed sources.

According to the British newspaper, Moscow is suspected of deploying commercial vessels as covert intelligence platforms to identify the precise routes of underwater communications infrastructure considered critical to NATO countries.

Sources cited by the publication believe the information could prove valuable to Russia in the event of a military confrontation with Europe.

A NATO source claimed that the alliance was aware of the activities and locations of Russian civilian fishing vessels. The official also suggested that some of the ships appeared to have little involvement in actual fishing operations.

The allegations are supported by vessel-tracking information obtained through Global Fishing Watch, a maritime monitoring platform.

According to the report, an analysis of movements involving 17 Russian fishing trawlers indicated suspected surveillance activity near underwater cable networks over the past four and a half years.

However, The Independent presented no evidence that Russia was preparing sabotage operations against the infrastructure.

Furthermore, British law does not prohibit surveying undersea cables in international waters, meaning such activities are not inherently illegal under UK legislation.