The Royal Navy has intensified its efforts to monitor and deter Russian surveillance activities near UK waters.
Last November, a British submarine surfaced close to the Russian spy ship Yantar to warn it had been covertly tracked while operating near critical underwater infrastructure.
Following this confrontation, Yantar departed for the Mediterranean, only to return this week through the English Channel, shadowed by HMS Somerset.
The Yantar, a vessel specialising in intelligence gathering and mapping undersea infrastructure, has raised significant concerns for UK national security. Defence Secretary John Healey pushed the Government’s firm stance: “We know what you are doing, and we will not shy away from robust action to protect Britain.”
The November encounter marked a rare public disclosure of British submarine operations, with the Yantar reportedly detected loitering near vital UK undersea infrastructure. Following the submarine’s surfacing, the ship left UK waters but has since passed back through the Channel.
In response to growing threats, the UK has deployed advanced technology and bolstered international cooperation. The Nordic Warden system, an AI-driven surveillance network, has been activated to monitor Russian vessels and protect undersea infrastructure. This system generates real-time alerts for NATO and Joint Expeditionary Force partners, addressing risks like the recent damage to the Estlink2 cable between Finland and Estonia.
The UK is also contributing P-8 Poseidon and Rivet Joint aircraft to NATO’s Baltic Sentry initiative, ensuring robust maritime patrols in response to undersea threats.
The Kremlin’s shadow fleet of vessels, designed to circumvent international sanctions and fund its aggression in Ukraine, has become a focus of UK-led countermeasures. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s initiative has resulted in the sanctioning of 93 Russian oil tankers.
Defence Secretary Healey reiterated: “National security is our government’s first duty. Protecting undersea critical national infrastructure is vital to the country’s economy.”
The Defence Secretary highlighted the UK’s commitment to safeguarding its interests, stating: “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.”
The Russians are such donkeys, this ship is practically a walking advert for European NATO to increase defence spending. It’s hovering over cables that are marked on sea charts in full view of half a dozen navy’s. It’s achieving nothing.
I’d argue that all depends on why they are doing it?
If there intent is to actually harm the cables, it’s pointless. It could also be seen in Russia as good way to respond for “NATO transgressions” in Ukraine, which would obviously be a poor choice but they’ve not made great ones recently.
The cynic in me says it could be a genius spending distraction, they don’t have to ‘attack’ a cable, they only have to make us seriously believe that the threat is imminent, then it’s another NATO black hole to be filled with cash.