The Russian Embassy in the UK has accused Britain of being “Russophobic” and mocked the Government as it said its claims over a spy ship “only raise a smile”. Earlier today, Defence Secretary John Healey said a Russian spy ship, the Yantar, is on the edge of UK waters. He added that it was pointing lasers at RAF pilots.
In a response to the claims, the Russian Embassy said: “We have noticed the latest provocative statements made by the head of the British defence department, John Healey.
“This time, the reason was the activities of the Russian oceanographic research vessel ‘Yantar’ in international waters.
“The endless accusations and suspicions of the British leadership only raise a smile. The actions of our country do not affect the interests of the United Kingdom and are not aimed at undermining its security.
“We are not interested in British underwater communications.”
The Russian Embassy added the “escalation of militaristic hysteria” contributes to the “further degradation of European security, creating prerequisites for new dangerous situations”.
“We urge the British side to refrain from destructive steps that exacerbate the crisis phenomena on the European continent,” it said.
Healey claimed the Russian spy ship was off the coast of Scotland, and issued a stark warning to Moscow not to head any further south.
During a major speech on defence from Downing Street, Healey said: “As I speak, a Russian spy ship – the Yantar – is on the edge of the UK’s waters north of Scotland, having entered the UK’s wider waters over the last few weeks. This is a vessel designed for gathering intelligence and mapping our undersea cables. We deployed a Royal Navy frigate and RAF planes to monitor and track this vessel’s every move, during which the Yantar directed lasers at our pilots.”
The vessel has cable-cutting equipment combined with surveillance and intelligence gathering capabilities, making it the kind of ship “a Bond villain would be proud of”, Sky News’ Dominic Waghorn writes. According to Healey, it can “undertake surveillance in peacetime and sabotage in conflict”.
The most worrying act, however, is the act of deploying a laser to distract the British pilot.
Matthew Savill from the Royal United Services Institute told Sky New: “If this had been used to dazzle the pilot and that aircraft had subsequently crashed, then maybe the case could be made that not only was it hostile – but it was fundamentally an armed attack, because it had the same impact as if they’d used a weapon.”
Subsea fibre-optic cables carry the digital traffic that underpins today’s economies and communication networks. Oil and gas pipelines laid across the ocean floor are just as important, supplying the energy that keeps industries running and homes heated. Yet both types of infrastructure extend for vast distances underwater, remaining largely unprotected and difficult to monitor.
This vulnerability is a constant concern for the West, and Moscow understands the strategic leverage this creates.
For that reason, some of Russia’s most advanced naval technology is designed to locate, study, and potentially exploit these undersea arteries. The vessel Yantar is believed to be quietly charting sections of these cable and pipeline systems. Analysts fear that the information gathered today could be used in the future to interfere with or disable key components of this underwater grid.
