UK warns Putin after Russian spy ship seen near British waters

The Royal Navy has been monitoring a Russian spy ship after it was noticed round UK waters earlier this week, the defence secretary has advised MPs.

John Healey mentioned the vessel, Yantar, was used for gathering intelligence and mapping the UK’s vital underwater infrastructure.

He mentioned the incident was “one other instance of rising Russian aggression”.

Healey added: “I additionally needed President [Vladimir] Putin to listen to this message: we see you, we all know what you are doing and we is not going to shrink back from sturdy motion to guard this nation.”

Russia describes Yantar as an oceanic analysis vessel and it’s operated by the nation’s Ministry of Defence.

Western nations have typically tracked the ship working in European waters and so they suspect a part of its mission has been to map undersea cables.

Additionally they consider Russia has been stepping up this exercise because it launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

In addition to surveillance gear the ship can function submersible drones able to reaching the ocean ground.

Undersea infrastructure is essential for power provide by way of energy cables and pipelines, whereas greater than 95% of web site visitors can be secured by way of undersea cables.

Healey mentioned Yantar was at the moment within the North Sea, after passing close to UK waters and being detected 45 miles off the British coast within the English Channel on Monday.

“For the final two days the Royal Navy has deployed HMS Somerset and HMS Tyne to watch the vessel each minute by way of our waters,” he mentioned.

“I modified the Royal Navy’s guidelines of engagement in order that our warships can get nearer and higher observe the Yantar. Thus far, the ship has complied with worldwide guidelines of navigation.”

The defence secretary mentioned it was the second time the vessel had entered British waters in current months, with Yantar additionally detected “loitering over UK vital undersea infrastructure” in November.

He mentioned a Royal Navy submarine had been authorised to floor near Yantar – a extremely uncommon transfer.

Healey described this “strictly as a deterrent measure” and “to clarify that we’ve got been covertly monitoring its each transfer”.

Defence sources advised the BBC the ship was additionally given a verbal warning.

“The ship then left UK waters with out additional loitering and sailed right down to the Mediterranean,” Healey added.

Healey mentioned the federal government was strengthening its response to Russian naval exercise with its Nato allies.

He mentioned the Royal Air Power would supply surveillance plane to hitch a Nato deployment to guard vital infrastructure within the Baltic Sea.

It comes after an undersea cable between Estonia and Finland was broken in December, with Finnish police investigating whether or not a Russian ship was concerned.

Shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge mentioned the Conservative Celebration stood “shoulder to shoulder” with the federal government’s method and its “transparency” over the Russian naval menace.

He additionally welcomed the change to the Royal Navy’s guidelines of engagement, including: “This sends a strong sign to Putin that we are going to not be intimidated and that if his intention is to maintain pushing the boundaries of malign exercise in our waters, and people proximate to us, we’ll reply.”

Cartlidge mentioned the difficulty confirmed why defence spending wanted to be elevated as quickly as attainable.

However Grant Shapps, the previous Conservative defence secretary referred to as on the federal government to impound ships it suspects of spying round UK waters.

Shapps advised BBC Radio 4’s World Tonight programme the UK ought to take a “extra upfront method”.

“If a ship is suspected of [spying] you are completely at liberty to go and examine that and typically which means you could have to detain a ship for a time period as a way to get to the reality,” he mentioned.

“Everyone knows what they’re as much as and also you do subsequently need to have a extra proactive, forward-leaning stance in the direction of it.”

His fellow former defence secretary Sir Gavin Williamson, additionally a Conservative, mentioned the menace from Russian naval exercise had “grown exponentially”.

“If the Royal Navy and the RAF are to have any likelihood to maintain that vital nationwide infrastructure secure they’re going to want a flood of sources,” he advised the BBC.

“We must be massively scaling up and doing it in a short time.”