Britain issued a sharp warning to Russia after the Russian spy ship Yantar approached the edge of U.K. territorial waters north of Scotland, prompting new concerns over undersea security.
U.K. Defense Secretary John Healey said the vessel directed lasers at Royal Air Force pilots who were monitoring its movements, calling the action unprecedented and “extremely serious".
The Defence Secretary @JohnHealey_MP this morning confirmed that a Russian spy ship – the Yantar – is on the edge of UK waters, north of Scotland, having entered the UK’s wider waters over the last few weeks.
— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) November 19, 2025
This is a vessel used for gathering intelligence and mapping… pic.twitter.com/GO6LXVAfgU
Healey said the Yantar is known for surveillance in peacetime and potential sabotage in wartime, including threats to pipelines and communication cables.
British officials said the ship is part of a broader Russian effort to target critical undersea infrastructure, a tactic also seen in attacks across the Baltic Sea this year.
Britain releases images of the Russian spy ship on the edge of UK waters that aimed lasers at RAF pilots
— Deborah Haynes (@haynesdeborah) November 19, 2025
“We see you, we know what you’re doing and if the Yantar travels south thus week we are ready,” @JohnHealey_MP says pic.twitter.com/tKUBHCDN4U
Healey warned Moscow that Britain is prepared to respond if the Yantar moves south, saying London has “military options ready.”
The vessel has probed British defenses before and was previously shadowed through the English Channel by the HMS Somerset.
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TIPP Staff
