UK Defence Secretary John Healey has delivered a sharp warning to Moscow after the Russian intelligence-gathering vessel Yantar reappeared in the northern approaches of the UK and used laser dazzling devices against RAF aircrews.
According to government officials, the ship has been positioned just outside British territorial waters north of Scotland and was closely monitored by a Royal Navy frigate and RAF Poseidon aircraft after entering the area in recent days.
Speaking at a Westminster press briefing, Healey outlined the government’s assessment of the ship’s activities while directing a blunt message toward the Kremlin:
“We see you. We know what you’re doing. And if the Yantar travels south this week, we are ready.”
He described the vessel as part of a wider Russian programme run by the Main Directorate of Deep-Sea Research (GUGI), which develops and operates systems designed to monitor—and, if necessary, sabotage—undersea infrastructure. The UK, he said, tracks the ship every time it enters the “British wider waters,” working closely with allied forces.
Healey confirmed that during its current transit, the ship directed laser systems at RAF P-8 Poseidon crews sent to observe it, a tactic NATO countries have previously accused Russian units of using in contested maritime and airspace regions. The British response has included deploying naval units and maintaining persistent aerial surveillance to map the vessel’s actions.
Yantar, a 108-metre Project 22010 oceanographic ship, is officially classified as a research platform. However, Western navies consider it a deep-sea intelligence asset capable of deploying submersibles reaching depths of 6,000 metres, inspecting or tampering with seabed cables, and supporting covert underwater missions. Its renewed presence near the UK fits a pattern of movements aligned with Russia’s interest in NATO’s critical subsea infrastructure.
Healey framed the UK’s stance as part of a joint regional posture strengthened with Nordic and Baltic partners after recent attacks and suspected interference targeting offshore networks:
“We will not tolerate any threat to the essential undersea lifelines of the British people.”
