The UK government warned it is prepared to use military options after a Russian intelligence vessel reportedly aimed lasers at Royal Air Force aircrew sent to monitor it off the north coast of Scotland. Defence Secretary John Healey described the action by the research ship Yantar as deeply dangerous and said Britain is watching the ship closely.
Healey told a London audience that a Royal Navy frigate and RAF P-8 aircraft had been deployed to shadow the Yantar as it operated in UK waters. He said the incident marked the first time the vessel had directed lasers at British aircrews and that it was being treated extremely seriously. Healey added that he had adjusted naval rules of engagement to allow closer monitoring and warned that ‘‘we have military options ready should the Yantar change course.’’ He also said Britain had sent the message to Moscow and President Putin that the ship’s movements were known and would be met if necessary.
British forces routinely shadow vessels and submarines that operate near UK territorial waters and airspace, and such incursions have increased since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. UK officials say the Yantar is built to gather intelligence and map undersea cables, capable of peacetime surveillance and, if ordered in conflict, of activities that could damage undersea infrastructure. In January the vessel was monitored while transiting the English Channel after loitering over critical seabed assets, prompting the Royal Navy to dispatch two ships before the Yantar continued to the Mediterranean.
Moscow’s embassy in London rejected the accusations, accusing the British government of Russophobia and of stoking militaristic hysteria. The embassy said the Yantar’s activities did not affect UK interests, were not meant to undermine British security, and urged London to avoid destructive steps.
The episode has heightened concerns about threats to undersea infrastructure. Western officials have voiced alarm that Kremlin-linked ships and parts of a so-called shadow fleet could target pipelines and cables as a form of hybrid warfare. In December, Finnish authorities seized a Russia-linked vessel suspected of deliberately damaging a power cable between Finland and Estonia.
Healey framed the warning as part of a broader call for stepped-up defence investment ahead of the UK budget announcement on November 26. He cited threats from Russia, China and Iran as reasons to boost defence spending, noting the government’s pledge to raise defence outlays to 5 percent of GDP by 2035 from about 2.3 percent last year. As part of a 1.5 billion pound plan, ministers aim to develop munitions production sites and create more than 1,000 jobs. Healey said the changing threat environment demands stronger defence, firm alliances and resolute diplomacy, and that Britain must respond accordingly.