U.K. Defense Secretary John Healey on Wednesday issued a warning to Russian President Vladimir Putin after reporting a Russian spy ship had entered British waters earlier this week.
While speaking to the U.K. Parliament about the alleged incident, Healey directed a message to Putin, saying: “We see you. We know what you are doing. And we will not shy away from robust action to protect this country.”
Why It Matters
The U.K. is one of Europe’s top suppliers of military assistance to Kyiv in the war Putin launched by invading Ukraine in February 2022. Last week, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer made his first official visit to Kyiv since taking office in July, where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said they agreed to “at least U.S. $3.6 billion” in annual military aid.
Zelensky’s office also published the text of an agreement on a “100-Year Partnership” between Ukraine and the U.K., which aims to strengthen defense ties.
What To Know
Healey accused the Russian vessel, Yantar, of “gathering intelligence and mapping the U.K.’s critical underwater infrastructure.”
Photos by Ian Forsyth/Contributor/Getty Images
He also said the ship operated under the Russian Ministry of Defense and called its presence in U.K. waters “another example of growing Russian aggression.”
Newsweek reached out to the Russian Ministry of Defense via online form on Wednesday for comment.
According to Healey, Yantar first entered U.K. waters on Monday when the British navy detected it about 45 nautical miles off the British coast. The Royal Navy deployed two ships to monitor Yantar “every minute through our waters,” the defense secretary said.
He added that he “changed the Royal Navy’s rules of engagement so that our warships can get closer and better track the Yantar. So far, the ship has complied with international rules of navigation.”
The Russian vessel has since moved on and is currently in the North Sea, Healey said.
Russian Ship Previously Detected In U.K. Waters
Healey told British lawmakers on Wednesday that Yantar was previously spotted “loitering over U.K. critical undersea infrastructure” in November.
As a response to that alleged incident, he said British ships, as well as a patrol aircraft, monitored the Russian vessel.
Healey said he also took the extra step of authorizing a Royal Navy submarine “strictly as a deterrent measure” to “surface close to Yantar to make clear that we had been covertly monitoring its every move.”
Eventually, Yantar “left U.K. waters without further loitering and sailed down to the Mediterranean,” the defense secretary said.
Russia Previously Accused Of Underwater Sabotage
Last month, Finland seized an oil tanker allegedly belonging to Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” after the vessel was suspected of damaging up to five submarine cables on Christmas Day.
Disruptions were reported in power and data connections between Finland and Estonia in the Gulf of Finland, where the Cook Island-flagged ship Eagle S passed at the same time, according to publicly available vessel-tracking data.
What People Are Saying
U.K. Defense Secretary John Healey said to members of Parliament: “The heads of MI6 and the CIA recently stated together in a joint statement that Russia is waging a ‘reckless campaign of sabotage’ across Europe.”
He added, “Russia is dangerous, but fundamentally weak.”
What Happens Next
Healey said that with NATO allies, the U.K. is “strengthening our response to ensure that Russian ships and aircraft cannot operate in secrecy near the U.K. or near NATO territory.”