Russian spy ship Yantar targets RAF pilots with lasers near U.K. waters, London says
For the first time, the Russian spy ship Yantar used lasers against Royal Air Force (RAF) pilots who were tracking it near U.K. waters, Britain's Defense Secretary John Healey said on Nov. 19
He said he ship entered U.K. waters for the second time this year in recent weeks and was located north of Scotland when the incident occurred.
Healey called the incident a deeply "dangerous move" that would be taken seriously.
"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," he added.
Healey said that any attempt to impede, disrupt, or endanger pilots flying British military planes is "extremely dangerous."
The Russian Embassy to the U.K. released a statement on Nov. 19, saying that "the endless accusations and suspicions of the British leadership only provoke a smile" and that Russia's actions do not affect the interests of the U.K. are not aimed at undermining its security.
"However, London's Russophobic course and the whipping up of militaristic hysteria are contributing to the further degradation of European security, creating the conditions for new dangerous situations," it added.
Russia’s Yantar vessel stepped up its activities after a quieter period, when the Kremlin had limited its use at the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Moscow has carried out more frequent violations of the EU's and NATO's airspace in recent months. It violated Polish airspace on Sept. 10, prompting Warsaw to shoot down Russian drones over its territory in a first for any NATO member in over three years of Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine. On Sept. 19, three Russian jets violated Estonian airspace.
Yantar was found in satellite footage of the Irish Sea between the U.K. and Ireland in November when the vessel was reportedly trying to conceal itself in a mission that lasted several months off the U.K.'s coast.
The ship was also spotted over the underwater cables between Norway's mainland and the Svalbard archipelago, the Financial Times reported.
The Yantar can alter the frequency pulses passing through communication cables, causing disruptions, unnamed Western naval officials said, adding that the crew is likely determining where a disturbance would cause maximum harm.
The ship can also intercept military and internet communications and plant explosives on cables that can be detonated later, according to the Financial Times.
