Ireland fears undersea cables face growing threat from ‘malign actors’

What the report says

Ireland is warning that the undersea cables running through and near its waters could face rising risks from sabotage or other interference, as concern grows about vessels linked to Russia’s so-called shadow fleet and other “malign actors.” In an Al Jazeera report published from Wexford, the country’s strategic role was framed around the fact that roughly three-quarters of transatlantic subsea cables pass through or close to Irish waters, carrying communications and financial traffic between North America and Europe.

The article says Ireland’s importance is amplified by its role as a hub for major US technology companies, including Google, Microsoft and Meta, and by the data centres that support that ecosystem. It also notes a series of recent incidents involving the Russian vessel Yantar, which was monitored near undersea infrastructure in Irish waters in 2024 and later drew British allegations of suspicious activity near critical infrastructure in UK waters. The report describes these events as part of a broader pattern that has increased anxieties across northern Europe.

Al Jazeera reports that Irish officials have acknowledged the need to strengthen maritime powers, including the ability to board and inspect suspicious ships. Defence Minister Helen McEntee has linked that effort to emerging threats associated with the shadow fleet, a term Moscow rejects. The article also highlights Ireland’s limited military capacity, including its neutral status and low defence spending by EU standards.

Former Irish ambassador to the US Daniel Mulhall told Al Jazeera that Ireland cannot assume geography will protect it and argued for international cooperation to better secure the cables, which he described as essential to the economy.