Gavin Grey: UK Correspondent on Russian sensor allegations and Scotland's ferry fiasco

Russia's ambassador to the UK isn't denying allegations that Russian sensors have been hidden around Great Britain in an attempt to track UK nuclear submarines. 

Andrei Kelin said that while he did not deny Russia was attempting to track British submarines, he rejected the idea that such activities presented a threat to the UK.

UK Correspondent Gavin Grey joins the show to discuss the allegations, and Scotland's ferry fiasco. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
To the UK.

Speaker 2 (00:00):
We go, Devin Gray, Good morning, hither Andrew. So, there's
been allegations that Russians have put sensors all around Great
Britain in an attempt to track UK nuclear submarines. Now,
what can you tell me about this story?

Speaker 1 (00:14):
Yeah, so this was a story out of the Sunday
Times in which it was reported that British military discovered
the existence of these devices and deemed them a potential
threat to national security. It is believed that if these
story is correct, these devices have been planted by Moscow
in order to try to gather intelligence on the UK's

(00:35):
nuclear defense or nuclear capabilities. They are based on four
Vanguard submarines which carry these nuclear missiles. Now, if this
is true, then of course it would be deeply worrying
if somebody knows precisely where they are. The devices have
been characterized, incidentally, that effectively they could well be part

(00:56):
of what's called a hybrid or gray zone war that
Vladimir Putin might be plotting, in other words, doing damage
to infrastructure assets as well, like energy pipelines could be
being mapped. So in an interview with the Russian ambassador
to the UK today, he was asked straight out, has
this been happening? Have you been tracking British submarines And

(01:17):
he said, well, I'm not going to deny it, but
I wonder they really have an interest in following the
British submarines because they're very old, outdated nuclear warheads and
these threats are extremely exaggerated, and then said, Russia poses
no threat to the UK. Well, I'm afraid at the
moment that isn't the UK's assessment of the relationship with Russia.

Speaker 2 (01:38):
All Right, to Scotland we go and they're having a
fery fiesco much like New Zealand.

Speaker 1 (01:44):
I gather that you two have had this perhaps the
same people have been advising one another. This is about
the daily journey on a ferry from the mainland of
Scotland mainland of the UK to the Isle of Aaron. Now,
believe it or not, these ferries were replacing a thirty
year old service, a thirty year old ferry that was

(02:05):
really getting out of date and becoming unreliable. So they
ordered them and they were supposed to come into service
in twenty seventeen. Only one has so far come into service,
in other words, seven years late. The other still isn't ready.
The original cost was two hundred million New Zealand dollars,
it's now eight hundred million New Zealand dollars. And wait

(02:26):
for it, they're too big to fit in the port
that they were supposed to dock at on the island.
You couldn't make it up if you tried. In the meantime,
it looks like they're going to divert the services to
the coastal town or Truon, famous for golf. But guess
what it now looks like. The Scottish government, in one
of the biggest mismanagements ever I think, is now thinking

(02:47):
it might buy the original port that is too small
for the boats and upgraded with a rough one hundred
and seventy million pound investment. Honestly, Andrew, you couldn't.

Speaker 2 (02:58):
Make it up, Yes you can't. Exactly the same as here.
We bought two fairies that were too big. We couldn't
afford to do the port work and yeah, you can
write it, David, and I thank you so much. Gavin
Gray out of the UK.

Speaker 1 (03:12):
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