Alarm over Russian spy ship entering UK waters

A Russian spy ship has entered British waters and shone lasers at military pilots, according to the defence secretary, who spoke of a “new era • of threat” to the UK.

- Kiran Stacey Policy editor

John Healey told reporters yesterday that the “deeply dangerous” move was being taken “extremely seriously” by the government. It would continue monitoring the ship and had “military options ready” should the vessel change course, he said. The surveillance ship had crossed in and out of the UK's exclusive economic zone multiple times in recent weeks, not for the first time this year, he added.

Unlike the previous occasion, Russian sailors started directing lasers at British military pilots monitoring them, in what UK officials said was a significant escalation.

In the speech from Downing Street, Healey said: "As I speak, 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. This is a vessel designed for gathering intelligence and mapping our undersea cables.