A Russian spy ship entered British waters twice in recent weeks, prompting the UK to deploy Royal Navy ships, Royal Air Force planes and a submarine, Defence Secretary John Healey said.
The vessel — called Yantar — began its most recent incursion on Monday when it entered British waters about 45 miles off the coast, Healey told the House of Commons on Wednesday. The same ship had been detected “loitering” over vital undersea infrastructure in November, prompting Britain to deploy a submarine to surface close by as a warning, he said.
“Let me be clear: This is a Russian spy ship used for gathering intelligence and mapping the UK’s critical underwater infrastructure,” Healey said. “This is another example of growing Russian aggression targeting our allies abroad and us at home.”
The revelation highlights the growing threat posed by Russia to cables and other offshore infrastructure in what Healey described as a “reckless campaign of sabotage across Europe.” It comes less than a month after undersea cables were damaged in the Gulf of Finland in an incident blamed by the Nordic country on a vessel identified as a member of the so-called shadow fleet transporting Russian petroleum products.
“I want President Putin to hear this message: ‘We see you, we know what you’re doing and we will not shy away from robust action to protect this country,’” Healey said.
The vessel has left British waters and is now in Dutch waters in the North Sea, he added.