Russian spy vessel enters UK waters for second time in six months

UK Defence Secretary John Healey has reported that a Russian spy ship, the Yantar, has been spotted in UK territorial waters again.

As reported by PA Media, Healey said during a speech in the House of Commons that the Yantar is now in the North Sea, but before that, it passed through UK waters.

As it did so, the Russians were flanked by the Royal Navy ships HMS Somerset and HMS Tyne on the defence minister’s instructions.

"A Russian spy ship has been tracked this week in the English Channel by a Royal Navy warship – just weeks after it was caught loitering over critical undersea infrastructure in UK waters," Healey said.

Healey noted that Russia uses the Yantar to "gather intelligence and map the UK's critical underwater infrastructure".

"We know what you are doing, [Putin], and we will not shy away from robust action to protect Britain."

The Yantar is officially classified as an auxiliary general oceanographic research vessel with underwater rescue capabilities. It reports to the Russian Ministry of Defence and is not part of the Russian Navy.

Open-source intelligence analysts show that it can use deep-sea vehicles and has repeatedly operated near seabed infrastructure.

In November 2024, the Yantar was also spotted off the coast of Ireland in an area where critical underwater infrastructure is located.