A Russian spy ship has directed lasers at British military pilots monitoring its movements near UK waters, Defence Secretary John Healey has revealed. The vessel, designed to map critical undersea cables, is operating off Scotland's northern coast for the second time this year.
Healey warned Russian President Vladimir Putin that Britain "is ready" to respond if the Yantar moves south. He told a Downing Street press conference on Wednesday: «We deployed a Royal Navy frigate and RAF P-8 planes to monitor and track this vessel's every move, during which the Yantar directed lasers at our pilots.»
The Defence Secretary called the Russian action "deeply dangerous". He added: «My message to Russia and to Putin is this: We see you. We know what you're doing. If the Yantar travels south this week, we are ready.»
The Yantar has been loitering in wider UK waters for several weeks. It is an intelligence-gathering vessel specifically designed to map undersea cables and pipelines that form critical infrastructure for internet connectivity and communications.
Threat to Undersea Infrastructure
Healey emphasized the ship poses a broader strategic threat. «It is part of a Russian fleet designed to put and hold our undersea infrastructure and those of our allies at risk,» he said.
The vessel operates under Russia's Main Directorate of Deep-Sea Research, known as GUGI. Healey explained: «It isn't just a naval operation. It's part of a Russian programme driven by what they call the Main Directorate of Deep-Sea Research, or GUGI, and this is designed to have capabilities which can undertake surveillance in peacetime and sabotage in conflict.»
In January, the Yantar was caught lurking over undersea cables and warned off by a Royal Navy nuclear-powered submarine. The UK and NATO allies have growing concerns about Moscow's capability to attack offshore cables and pipelines.
A September report by the National Security Strategy Committee warned that attacks on undersea cables could cause "catastrophic disruption" to the financial and communications systems Britons rely on daily.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
