Britain has confirmed monitoring a Russian spy vessel in the English Channel recently. The country expressed its intentions to enhance responses to covert Russian activities to safeguard undersea cables.
Defence Minister John Healey reported that the Russian spy ship Yantar was tracked by the Royal Navy for two days after entering British waters on Monday, eventually moving into Dutch waters. The Russian Embassy in London has not yet responded to requests for comments.
Concerns have risen over the security of power cables, telecom connections, and gas pipelines following disruptions in the Baltic Sea post-Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Healey emphasized, "We will take decisive action to defend Britain," asserting the reinforcement of measures to prevent Russian ships and aircraft from operating discreetly near UK or NATO territories.
Britain has decided to dispatch maritime patrol and surveillance aircraft to protect Baltic Sea cables, along with deploying an advanced AI system for undersea infrastructure security.
Notably, Yantar was previously observed in British waters in November, prompting Healey to modify engagement protocols to enable closer monitoring by Royal Navy ships. Additionally, he approved the surfacing of a Royal Navy submarine near Yantar as a deterrent.