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鈥淚t was three submarines. We tracked them 24/7 for over a month to make sure that we are able to say to Putin, we see what you鈥檙e doing, we鈥檙e watching you. It means that if there is ever any damage to our cables or our pipelines, we know we can hold Putin to account. We know he can鈥檛 deny it.鈥�

Adam Fleming speaks to John Healey, the UK Defence Secretary, after he revealed Russian submarines have been carrying out covert operations over the UK鈥檚 deep-sea cables and pipelines, critical to energy and internet traffic.

He says the activity could form part of a wider strategy to map infrastructure in peacetime, and target it during conflict.

While global attention is focused on the Middle East, he argues Britain cannot be distracted from what he calls its 鈥減rimary threat鈥�, and that the UK and its Nato allies must remain on constant alert to Russian activity.

The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the 麻豆社, including episodes with Ukraine鈥檚 president Volodymyr Zelensky, and Antonio Guterres, Secretary General of the UN. You can listen on the 麻豆社 World Service on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 0800 GMT. Or you can listen to The Interview as a podcast, out three times a week on 麻豆社 Sounds or wherever you get your podcasts.

Presenter: Adam Fleming
Producers: Osman Iqbal
Editor: Justine Lang and Damon Rose

Get in touch with us on email TheInterview@bbc.co.uk and use the hashtag #TheInterview麻豆社 on social media.

(Image: John Healey Credit: Thomas Traasdahl / Ritzau Scanpix / AFP via Getty Images)