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Do the Shetland Isles need Cold War-style military protection?
Calls have grown to strengthen military protection around Shetland amid concern about Russian vessels near undersea cables and other critical infrastructure. The debate matters because damage to cables can disrupt communications, while the islands’ location makes them strategically important to the UK and North Atlantic.
A reported analysis found more than 500 incidents involving Russian boats positioned above cables linking Britain with Europe and the US; the cables carry most international telecoms data. Shetland itself suffered cable damage in 2022 and two breaks last year, with no suggestion of Russian involvement. The islands once hosted extensive wartime and Cold War defences, and the £30m SaxaVord Spaceport is among the sites cited as a potential concern.
In short
- Concerns over Russian activity have renewed calls to protect Shetland.
- Undersea cables carry most of Britain’s international telecoms data.
- Past cable breaks disrupted services, though no Russian link was suggested.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Shetland’s position beside important North Atlantic routes and undersea cables makes it a plausible target for surveillance or disruption, and repeated cable damage shows the infrastructure is vulnerable even when responsibility is unknown. Stronger monitoring, patrols and defences could deter hostile activity, help identify incidents quickly and protect communications and strategically important sites such as SaxaVord.
The case against
The reported cable breaks do not point to Russian involvement, so they do not by themselves establish a case for a major military build-up. A Cold War-style posture could be costly and risk escalating tensions; better cable resilience, civilian monitoring and co-operation with allies may address the risks without restoring extensive military defences on the islands.
Explained simply
Undersea cables carry most of the data used for international communications, linking Britain with Europe and the United States. Damage can interrupt those links, although the breaks affecting Shetland have not been attributed to Russian vessels.
Shetland sits between the North Atlantic and northern Europe, making it strategically important to the UK. The islands had extensive defences during the Second World War and the Cold War; today, concerns also include infrastructure such as the SaxaVord Spaceport.
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