A Russian spy ship, the Yantar, has reportedly used lasers to disrupt Royal Air Force pilots tracking its movements near UK waters, Defence Secretary John Healey has said. He described the incident as “deeply dangerous” and said the government was treating it with the utmost seriousness.
Healey said the ship, operating north of Scotland, had entered UK waters for the second time this year. It was being monitored by a Royal Navy frigate and RAF Poseidon P-8 aircraft at the time. The laser incident is understood to have occurred within the last two weeks.
“My message to Russia and to Putin is this: we see you. We know what you’re doing. And if the Yantar travels south this week, we are ready,” Healey said, adding that military options were prepared should the vessel change course.
The Defence Secretary said he had adjusted the Royal Navy’s rules of engagement to allow closer monitoring of the ship when it enters UK waters. The Yantar, which entered service in 2015, belongs to Russia’s Main Directorate for Deep Sea Research (GUGI), a unit responsible for peacetime surveillance and potential sabotage in conflict.
Healey emphasized the risks posed by lasers, saying: “Anything that impedes, disrupts or puts at risk pilots in charge of British military planes is deeply dangerous.”
In response, the Russian Embassy claimed the vessel’s actions did not threaten the UK and accused London of “Russophobic” behaviour, warning against steps that could escalate tensions in Europe.
Labour MP Matt Western, chair of the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy, said the incident underscored the “immediate threat” Russia poses to UK security and called for the possibility of stronger retaliation.
The Yantar has been frequently tracked in European waters, with Western nations suspecting some of its missions involve mapping undersea cables. Flight tracking suggests RAF surveillance planes continue to monitor the vessel’s movements off the Scottish coast.
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Security analysts, including Atlantic Council senior fellow Elisabeth Braw, called the laser use a clear escalation, saying it was intended to hinder pilots and, regardless of intensity, was provocative.
Healey warned that Russian incursions, along with threats from China and ongoing global conflicts, mean “our world is less predictable. It is more dangerous.” He also noted calls for the UK to strengthen its own military capabilities and reduce dependence on US resources, stating the government was accelerating its commitments since coming to power last year.
