The British navy said Wednesday that it is ramping up measures to protect its waters from secret Russian operations after identifying a Russian spy vessel in UK waters for the second time in weeks.
The Russian spy ship, called Yantar, sailed through the English Channel this week, according to the Ministry of Defence (MoD). As it sailed through the Channel, it was flanked by HMS Somerset, the ministry said.
The Yantar had first entered British waters in November and “loitered” over critical undersea infrastructure, it said, adding that after receiving a warning from a British submarine, it left the UK for the Mediterranean but has since returned.
The episode comes amid heightened concerns of Russian sabotage in international waters amid Russia’s war in Ukraine and a string of other incidents in the Baltic Sea.
British Defence Secretary John Healey said the UK was strengthening its protection of cables and other offshore infrastructure in the Baltic Sea, providing maritime patrol and surveillance aircraft to aid NATO’s efforts.
“My message to President Putin is clear. We know what you are doing, and we will not shy away from robust action to protect Britain,” Healey said Wednesday.
It will deploy an advanced AI system, known as Nordic Warden, for the same purpose, Healey said. This was announced by the British government following damage to the Estlink2 undersea cable between Estonia and Finland in December.
“Alongside our Joint Expeditionary Force and NATO allies, we are strengthening our response to ensure that Russian ships and aircraft cannot operate in secrecy near UK or NATO territory.
“We will continue to call out the malign activity that Putin directs, cracking down on the Russian shadow fleet to prevent funding for his illegal invasion of Ukraine.”
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on the UK’s statement during a briefing with journalists on Thursday. Asked about the claim that Yantar sailed through the English Channel this week, Peskov said he was “not really familiar with the subject” without elaborating further.