- The Royal Navy is monitoring Russian spy ship, Yantar, detected near UK waters, raising concerns over potential mapping of undersea cables.
- Defence Secretary, John Healey, stated that the Yantar was detected 45 miles off the British coast, and the Royal Navy has been closely tracking it.
- The UK government is strengthening its response to Russian naval activity with NATO allies, including deploying the Royal Air Force to protect critical infrastructure in the Baltic Sea.
- The incident highlights increasing tensions between Russia and the West, with the UK’s response sending a clear message against any aggressive actions.
The Royal Navy has been closely monitoring a Russian spy ship, Yantar, which was detected near UK waters. The Defence Secretary, John Healey, informed the Parliament about the incident, describing it as another example of growing Russian aggression. The Yantar, according to Healey, is used for intelligence gathering and mapping the UK’s critical underwater infrastructure. This incident has raised concerns among Western nations, who have often tracked the ship operating in European waters.
They suspect that part of its mission has been to map undersea cables, a suspicion that has been heightened since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The Yantar, described by Russia as an oceanic research vessel, is operated by the country’s Ministry of Defence. It is equipped with surveillance equipment and can operate submersible drones capable of reaching the ocean floor. This undersea infrastructure is crucial for energy supply through power cables and pipelines, while more than 95% of internet traffic is also secured via undersea cables.
Yantar’s Presence in UK Waters
Healey stated that the Yantar was currently in the North Sea, after passing near UK waters and being detected 45 miles off the British coast in the English Channel on Monday. For the last two days, the Royal Navy has deployed HMS Somerset and HMS Tyne to monitor the vessel every minute through our waters, he said. He also mentioned that he had changed the Royal Navy’s rules of engagement to allow their warships to get closer and better track the Yantar.
This is not the first time the vessel has entered British waters. In recent months, Yantar was also detected loitering over UK critical undersea infrastructure in November. In a highly unusual move, a Royal Navy submarine had been authorised to surface close to Yantar. Healey described this as a deterrent measure and to make clear that the UK has been covertly monitoring its every move.
UK’s Response to Russian Naval Activity
The Defence Secretary also mentioned that the government was strengthening its response to Russian naval activity with its NATO allies. The Royal Air Force would provide surveillance aircraft to join a NATO deployment to protect critical infrastructure in the Baltic Sea. This comes after an undersea cable between Estonia and Finland was damaged in December, with Finnish police investigating whether a Russian ship was involved.
Shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge expressed his support for the government’s approach and its transparency over the Russian naval threat. He also welcomed the change to the Royal Navy’s rules of engagement, adding: This sends a powerful signal to Putin that we will not be intimidated and that if his aim is to keep pushing the boundaries of malign activity in our waters, and those proximate to us, we will respond.
However, Grant Shapps, the former Conservative defence secretary, called on the government to impound ships it suspects of spying around UK waters. He suggested a more upfront approach and argued that if a ship is suspected of spying, the UK is perfectly at liberty to investigate that and sometimes that means detaining a ship for a period of time to get to the truth.