Main Directorate of Deep-Sea Research

The Main Directorate of Deep-Sea Research (Russian: Главное управление глубоководных исследований, transcribed as Glavnoye upravlenie glubokovodnikh issledovanii or GUGI), is a Russian agency belonging to the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. It is one of the most secret parts of the navy.[1][2] Its objective is to operate submarines that are able to dive deep into the sea, in order to gather intelligence or to work with installations on the seabed, including sabotage.[3][4][5] Its original target was the Western surveillance systems of submarines from the Soviet Union[6] and it is able to eavesdrop and sever the fiber optic cables crossing the seas.[7][8] It also tests emergency equipment and does medical research on the physiology of diving.

The year of creation of the directorate is uncertain. 1963 (as military unit 90802), 1965,[9] and 1976 have been mentioned.[3]

The directorate is directly subordinate to the Ministry of Defense.[10][6] It is located separated from the normal navy bases, with its headquarters in Saint Petersburg and a naval base in Olenya Bay on the Kola Peninsula.[3]

  1. ^ "Ядерный спецназ. Как устроена самая секретная структура ВМФ России (Nuclear Special Forces. How the most secret structure of the Russian Navy works)". Hi-Tech Mail. 5 August 2020. Archived from the original on 2020-08-06. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  2. ^ Sciutto, Jim (September 6, 2024). "Exclusive: US sees increasing risk of Russian 'sabotage' of key undersea cables by secretive military unit". CNN. Archived from the original on September 6, 2024. Retrieved September 6, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c Abramowicz, Victor. "Russian submarines: Threats and opportunities for Britain". Council of Geostrategy. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  4. ^ Bendelin, Simon (12 Sep 2016). "Ryska styrkor kan kapa Gotlands kablar". Gotlands Tidningar: 2. den ryska havsforskningsorganisationen Gugi i själva verket ägnar sig åt spioneri och sabotage. Deras huvudsyfte ska vara att kunna slå ut infrastruktur genom att klippa av viktiga överföringskablar på havsbottnarna.
  5. ^ Holmström, Mikael (25 Aug 2016). "Ryska ubåtar kan slå mot internet". Dagens Nyheter: 16.
  6. ^ a b von Braun, Joakim (1 Oct 2022). "Säkerhetsexpert: Nordsjöns och Atlantens ledningar är mycket sårbara". Blekinge läns tidning.
  7. ^ Töpffer, Michael (25 Aug 2016). "RYSK MILITÄR KAN SLÅ UT INTERNET". Expressen: 12.
  8. ^ Stenlund, Peter (6 Jan 2020). "Ur en bekymrad europés perspektiv". Hufvudstadsbladet: 21.
  9. ^ von Braun, Joakim. "Ryssland: Mästare i att smyga på havsbotten (Russia: Masters of Stealth on the Seabed)". Säkerhetsrådet. Fri värld. Retrieved 1 October 2022.
  10. ^ "You Need to Know About Russia's Main Directorate of Deep-Sea Research (GUGI)". The Lyncean Group of San Diego. 21 May 2018. Retrieved 2 October 2022.