The UK has issued a sharp warning to Moscow after a Russian intelligence-gathering vessel allegedly targeted a Royal Air Force surveillance aircraft with lasers while operating close to British waters.
Defence Secretary John Healey said the Russian ship Yantar — a deep-sea espionage vessel known for monitoring undersea cables — had recently come close to UK territorial waters near Shetland and briefly entered them earlier in the month. RAF personnel flying a Poseidon P-8 maritime patrol aircraft reported being illuminated by lasers during routine monitoring of the ship’s movements.
“This is the first time Yantar has directed this kind of action at British pilots,” Healey said during a speech in London. He confirmed that the Royal Navy frigate HMS Somerset had been deployed to shadow the vessel.
UK Lowers Rules of Engagement
Healey announced that he had ordered a change to the Royal Navy’s rules of engagement in the North Sea, allowing British forces to track and respond to the ship’s activities more closely.
“We are taking this extremely seriously,” he said. “We have military options ready. My message to Russia and to President Putin is simple: we see you, we know what you’re doing, and if Yantar heads further south, we are prepared.”
The Russian embassy dismissed the UK’s concerns, accusing London of manufacturing “militaristic hysteria” and worsening European security. It urged the British government to “refrain from destructive steps”.
A Vessel Built for Undersea Espionage
The Yantar is operated by Gugi, Russia’s highly secretive deep-sea research directorate. The ship is designed to map and monitor critical underwater infrastructure, including energy pipelines and fibre-optic cables relied upon by the UK and NATO allies.
Equipped with small submersibles fitted with robotic arms, the vessel can tap into cables or place explosive devices that could be triggered during a future conflict.
Healey noted that this capability makes the ship a strategic threat:
“It isn’t just a naval mission. It is part of a wider Russian programme intended for surveillance in peacetime and sabotage during conflict.”
Officials stressed that the lasers used against the RAF aircraft were not capable of downing a plane but were far more advanced than a simple handheld laser device.
A More Assertive British Posture
Healey’s comments signal a significant escalation in Britain’s stance toward Russian undersea activity near its shores. Although Yantar has been tracked around Britain and Ireland before, it was only earlier this year that the defence secretary publicly challenged Moscow over its operations.
In a previous confrontation, the Royal Navy surfaced a nuclear-powered submarine in front of Yantar to demonstrate that the UK had been covertly monitoring it.
MoD officials declined to say whether a submarine is tracking the vessel now, citing operational secrecy.
However, Healey hinted that the UK’s response this time could be equally forceful if the ship again enters British waters:
“Look at what we did last time,” he said. “A submarine they didn’t even know was there had been tracking their every move.”
