A British submarine emerged near a Russian reconnaissance vessel observed above key UK maritime structures, as announced by Defence Secretary John Healey in a Parliamentary session.
Healey detailed an update in the Royal Navy’s engagement protocols, permitting closer proximity to the Yantar ship, presently in the North Sea after navigating through the Channel. This vessel was under the watch of HMS Somerset for a two-day period.
Healey highlighted that the Yantar was engaged in intelligence activities, focusing on British undersea cables and infrastructure. This marks the vessel’s second intrusion into UK territorial waters, the initial instance occurring in November.
Healey described Yantar’s activity as “loitering,” a term underscoring its suspicious presence over critical UK infrastructure.
In response, Healey took decisive steps to “deter any potential threat,” involving the deployment of RAF maritime patrol aircraft, two Royal Navy warships, and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary’s Proteus to track the Russian ship.
Healey confirmed to the House of Commons that he had authorised a Royal Navy submarine to surface near the Yantar as a stark deterrent, signalling covert surveillance of the vessel’s movements.
Subsequently, the Yantar exited UK waters, heading towards the Mediterranean without further incidents.
The Defence Secretary reiterated the vigilant monitoring of Russian naval activity by the Royal Navy. He conveyed a firm message to Vladimir Putin regarding his “grey war” tactics, declaring the UK’s readiness to adopt robust measures to safeguard national security.
In a broader strategic response to potential Russian threats, the Royal Air Force will contribute aircraft to a new NATO mission aimed at bolstering the protection of offshore assets in the Baltic Sea.
This initiative, dubbed Baltic Sentry, follows recent damage to the Estlink2 undersea cable linking Estonia and Finland.
In light of this incident, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer engaged in discussions with Estonian and Finnish leaders, coinciding with the UK’s launch of Nordic Warden, a sophisticated AI system designed to monitor the Russian shadow fleet.
