United Kingdom Defense Secretary John Healey warned on Wednesday that “military options” were “ready” after a Russian spy ship was spotted in U.K. waters. The defense secretary accused the Russian spy ship of pointing lasers at Royal Air Force (RAF) pilots who were tracking the ship as it traveled through U.K. waters.
According to The BBC, Healey announced on Wednesday that the Yantar, a Russian spy ship, was spotted traveling north of Scotland and entered U.K. waters for the second time this year.
“This is a vessel designed for gathering intelligence and mapping our undersea cables,” Healey told reporters. “We deployed a Royal Navy frigate and RAF planes to monitor and track this vessel’s every move, during which the Yantar directed lasers at our pilots.”
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The defense secretary described the Russian spy ship’s actions as “deeply dangerous” and warned that the actions were being taken “extremely seriously” by the U.K., according to the BBC.
The BBC reported that Healey confirmed the U.K. military would continue to monitor the Yantar’s movement and that the government had “military options ready should the Yantar change course.”
“My message to Russia and to Putin is this: we see you,” Healey warned. “We know what you’re doing. And if the Yantar travels south this week, we are ready.”
Pictures of the Russian spy ship were shared on X, formerly Twitter, alongside a video of Healey’s warning to Russia.
According to Sky News, Healey told reporters that the incident with the Yantar marked the “first time” that the United Kingdom has “had this action from Yantar directed against the British RAF.”
“We take it extremely seriously,” Healey said. “I’ve changed the Navy’s rules of engagement so that we can follow more closely, monitor more closely, the activities of the Yantar when it’s in our wider waters. We have military options ready.”
Following Healey’s comments regarding Russia’s “deeply dangerous” actions, the Russian Embassy to the United Kingdom released a statement pushing back against the defense secretary’s claims, suggesting that they were part of the United Kingdom’s “endless accusations” against Russia.
“The British leadership’s endless accusations and suspicions only cause a smile,” the Russian Embassy to the United Kingdom tweeted. “Russia’s actions do not impinge upon the interests of the United Kingdom, nor are they intended to undermine its security. We have no interest in British undersea cables.”
