The North Atlantic is once again a theater of high-stakes military maneuvering, as British and allied forces ramp up their hunt for Russian submarines amid a surge in Russian naval activity. This escalation, reminiscent of Cold War tensions, comes as Europe grapples with the fallout from Russia’s relentless missile and drone attacks on Ukraine, and as Western leaders debate how best to bolster Kyiv’s defenses and unlock billions in frozen Russian assets.
On October 25, 2025, British Defense Minister John Healey delivered a blunt message to Russian President Vladimir Putin: "We are hunting your submarines." According to BBC, Healey’s remarks underscored the seriousness with which the United Kingdom views the uptick in Russian naval threats. "There is currently a 30% increase in the number of Russian vessels threatening British waters," Healey said, highlighting a dramatic rise in activity that the Ministry of Defense believes has brought Russian submarine operations in the North Atlantic back to levels not seen since the Cold War.
The British Royal Air Force and Royal Navy have responded by stepping up their presence in the region. Missions are now flown almost daily—sometimes around the clock—and often in close coordination with NATO allies. According to Censor.NET, this show of force is intended not just to deter Russian incursions, but to send a clear signal that the UK and its partners are prepared to defend their territorial waters and the broader security of Europe.
But the tensions at sea are only one part of a much larger story. As Britain and its NATO partners keep a wary eye on Russian submarines, Ukraine continues to bear the brunt of Moscow’s aggression. On the night of October 24 to 25, Russia launched yet another massive assault on Ukrainian cities, deploying dozens of strike drones and nine ballistic missiles. President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that Kyiv was among the targets, with the attack leaving several dead and dozens wounded.
"Since the beginning of this year, Russia has launched about 770 ballistic missiles and more than 50 ‘Kinzhal’ missiles at Ukraine," Zelensky said in a statement carried by multiple outlets. He offered condolences to the families of the victims and emphasized the increasing sophistication of Russian strikes, which now often combine drones with ballistic missiles to overwhelm Ukrainian defenses.
The Ukrainian president’s message was clear: his country desperately needs more air defense systems, particularly the American-made Patriot batteries, to protect its cities and civilians. "It is very important that partners who have the opportunity to do so implement what we have been discussing in recent days. No country should be left alone in the face of such evil," Zelensky urged. He called on the United States, European countries, and G7 states to step up their cooperation and provide the necessary assistance. "Russian ballistics require a response from powerful countries in real cooperation to protect lives," he added.
As Ukraine pleads for help on the front lines, diplomatic efforts are intensifying behind the scenes. On October 24 and 25, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer hosted President Zelensky in London for a series of high-level meetings aimed at strengthening Ukraine’s long-range missile capabilities and unlocking much-needed financial support. Starmer, speaking at his London residence, told Zelensky and assembled allies, "I think there's further we can do on capability, particularly... long-range capability, and of course, the vital work for coalition of the willing when it comes to the security guarantees that are necessary." According to Downing Street, Starmer also emphasized the urgency of "finishing the job" on unlocking Russian sovereign assets to support Ukraine, stating, "The UK is ready to move in tandem with the EU to drive this forward as fast as possible, to get those funds flowing to Ukraine."
The United States and European Union have both announced new sanctions on Russian energy this week, aiming to cripple the Kremlin’s war economy. Meanwhile, EU leaders have taken steps toward funding Ukraine’s defense for another two years, but a proposed 140-billion-euro "reparations loan" backed by frozen Russian assets remains in limbo. The bulk of these assets—around 200 billion euros—are held in Belgium, whose government has raised legal objections to their use. The broadly worded conclusions from Thursday’s summit in Brussels, adopted by all member states except Hungary, stopped short of explicitly endorsing the loan, instead inviting the European Commission "to present, as soon as possible, options for financial support."
Despite these hurdles, Zelensky welcomed the summit’s outcome as a sign of "political support" for the idea of using Russian assets to keep Ukraine in the fight. He has been lobbying for weeks for more long-range weapons, including the German-made Taurus missiles, which Berlin has so far withheld out of concern that their deployment could trigger further escalation with Moscow. The UK and France already supply Ukraine with Storm Shadow and Scalp missiles, while Kyiv has developed its own Flamingo and Neptune systems. Still, the need for additional advanced weaponry remains urgent, especially as Russia continues to hammer Ukraine’s energy grid in what appear to be calculated efforts to sap morale and cripple infrastructure as winter approaches.
In a move to address at least part of this shortfall, Starmer announced the "acceleration" of a UK program to manufacture air defense missiles, with the goal of supplying Ukraine with more than 5,000 such weapons. According to Downing Street, around 140 lightweight multirole missiles will be delivered to Ukraine this winter—a step that, while significant, is unlikely to satisfy all of Kyiv’s demands for advanced weaponry.
The diplomatic flurry in London was notable for the presence of key Western leaders. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, and the Netherlands' Dick Schoof attended in person, while French President Emmanuel Macron and others joined remotely. Earlier in the day, Zelensky met with Britain’s King Charles III—their third meeting this year—underscoring the symbolic and practical importance the UK places on its relationship with Ukraine.
Yet the path forward is fraught with complications. Zelensky’s recent trip to Washington yielded little in the way of tangible results, as President Donald Trump rebuffed his requests for long-range Tomahawk missiles. Trump, eyeing a diplomatic breakthrough following a Gaza ceasefire deal, appeared to be in no rush to escalate military support for Ukraine, leaving Kyiv to rely on European and British initiatives for the time being.
As the war grinds on, the stakes for Europe—and the world—continue to rise. The renewed submarine cat-and-mouse games in the North Atlantic, the near-daily missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities, and the diplomatic wrangling over billions in frozen Russian assets all point to a conflict that is far from resolution. For now, the message from London is unmistakable: the West is watching, preparing, and, as Healey put it, hunting. Whether these efforts will be enough to tip the balance in Ukraine’s favor remains to be seen, but the resolve to act—at least for now—appears undiminished.
