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Moscow's Latest Move Has US Admiral 'Worried Everyday'

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Russia's growing military activity continues to increase tension with the United States and a recent New York Times report reveals a new cause for concern.

According to the report, Russian submarines are operating aggressively near the underwater cables that carry almost all global Internet communications.

U.S. military officials say the worst case scenario is that the Russians would cut the cables in places that are especially hard to access, severing instant communications for the West.

The cables also carry more than 95 percent of daily communications around the world.

The commander of the U.S. Navy's submarine fleet in the pacific told the paper, "I'm worried everyday about what the Russians may be doing."

Military officials say the level of activity they're seeing from the Russians is comparable to what they saw in the Cold War and they would not put it past the Russians to resort back to those tactics.

Adm. Mark Ferguson, commander of U.S. naval forces in Europe, says Russia is using a mix of conventional forces, special ops missions, and new 21st century strategies.

"This involves the use of space, cyber, information warfare, and hybrid warfare designed to cripple the decision-making cycle of the alliance," Ferguson said.

With that in mind, Pentagon officials worry the cables are the perfect covert target.

According to the Times, the Department of Homeland Security lists their landing areas at the top of its list of "critical infrastructure," making these undersea cables and the extremely important information they carry a potential new front in Russia's aggressive expansion of power.

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About The Author

Caitlin Burke Headshot
Caitlin
Burke

Caitlin Burke serves as National Security Correspondent and a general assignment reporter for CBN News. She has also hosted the CBN News original podcast, The Daily Rundown. Some of Caitlin’s recent stories have focused on the national security threat posed by China, America’s military strength, and vulnerabilities in the U.S. power grid. She joined CBN News in July 2010, and over the course of her career, she has had the opportunity to cover stories both domestically and abroad. Caitlin began her news career working as a production assistant in Richmond, Virginia, for the NBC affiliate WWBT