Is the UK effectively protecting its undersea infrastructure from Russia?

Context

The UK's undersea infrastructure—including fibre-optic cables that carry 99% of international data traffic and gas pipelines supplying energy—faces growing threats from Russian reconnaissance and sabotage operations. Since 2022, Russia has conducted covert submarine missions near critical cables and pipelines, prompting the UK and NATO allies to strengthen surveillance and defensive capabilities. The debate centres on whether current protection measures are adequate, given the strategic importance of these assets and the difficulty of defending vast underwater territories.