The Defence Committee discussed escalating concerns over undersea cable security in the Baltic Sea and recent sightings of the Russian spy ship Yantar in UK waters during its latest session.
Defence Secretary John Healey highlighted the strategic importance of undersea infrastructure, stating: “Clearly, there is a recognition in recent months, not least because we have seen damage to essential undersea cables in different parts of the north Atlantic, the North Sea and the Baltic, that this is an area that requires attention.”
Healey revealed the UK closely monitored the Yantar during its activities: “We tracked them every mile of their circumvention and made sure that they knew we were watching.”
Lieutenant General Sir Rob Magowan, Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff, underlined the broader strategic concerns, noting: “We have to ensure that we have the capability to fight the fight today, as well as deter for warfighting.”
He categorised the threats into four areas: NATO obligations, global responsibilities, homeland defence, and hybrid grey zone activities such as cyber-attacks and infrastructure sabotage.
Healey also stressed the immediate response measures, including incorporating these challenges into the newly established UK-German defence agreement. “Undersea cables are a shared concern,” he said, adding that bilateral and NATO efforts are crucial to addressing the risks.
The concerns come as the UK prepares to strengthen defences and global readiness through an integrated Strategic Defence Review, which Healey assured is “not waiting on recommendations but already shaping actions and agreements.”
The ship
The Yantar is a Project 22010-class intelligence ship operated by the Russian Navy, equipped with advanced capabilities for deep-sea missions. Acting as a mothership for specialised submersibles, it can deploy the Rus-class and Konsul-class mini-subs, which are capable of reaching depths of up to 6,000 metres (around 20,000 feet). This remarkable range allows Yantar access to and possible interaction with undersea infrastructure, including telecommunications cables stretching across seabeds worldwide. The U.S. Navy has voiced concerns over Yantar’s capability to sever such cables, suggesting it may have uses beyond simple scientific exploration.
Though officially described as an “oceanic research complex” by Alexei Burilichev, head of the Russian Defence Ministry’s deepwater research department, Yantar’s activities have often attracted international scrutiny and raised speculation. The vessel has been observed close to important undersea telecommunications routes and infrastructure, sparking concerns among NATO and other nations about its possible intentions. With a mission profile blending intelligence-gathering and deep-sea research, Yantar serves strategic purposes well beyond civilian applications.
Yantar has made headlines for its presence in key regions. In 2015, it was spotted off the coast of Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, and later in Norwegian waters. In the following years, it appeared near Greenland, Israel, and Cyprus – locations that coincide with sensitive undersea cables or military recovery missions. Notably, in 2017, Yantar was involved in retrieving equipment from crashed Russian aircraft in the Mediterranean and joined international efforts to locate the missing Argentine submarine ARA San Juan.
More recently, Yantar has been reported off the Brazilian coast, in the English Channel, and near Ireland, often closely following submarine cables and sometimes operating without activated identification systems. Its presence in the North Atlantic, especially close to critical transatlantic cables, has led to increased monitoring by NATO countries. In 2023, the Norwegian Coast Guard documented an incident where Yantar shadowed the research vessel RV Kronprins Haakon for over 16 hours, mirroring its movements in what Norwegian officials called harassment, though Yantar adhered to international maritime law.
With a full load displacement of 5,736 tonnes, Yantar is 107.8 metres long and can reach speeds up to 15 knots. Its endurance of 60 days and range of 8,000 nautical miles allow for extended operations in remote areas. The vessel is equipped with two azipods for propulsion, along with a helipad.
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