Royal Navy sub used to warn off Russian spy ship, Healey tells MPs
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A Royal Navy submarine has been used to warn off one of Vladimir Putin’s spy ships operating around UK waters. Defence Secretary John Healey gave details about the activities of the Yantar, which he said the Russians “used for gathering intelligence and mapping the UK’s critical underwater infrastructure”.
Mr Healey warned Mr Putin “we see you, we know what you are doing and we will not shy away from robust action to protect this country”. He told MPs the Yantar was in the North Sea having passed through British waters in recent days, where it had been shadowed by Royal Navy ships HMS Somerset and HMS Tyne.
But he said it was the second time the Yantar had entered UK waters in recent months. “In November, the ship was also closely watched and detected loitering over UK critical undersea infrastructure. To deter any potential threat, I took measured steps,” he told the Commons.
“I can confirm to the House that I authorised a Royal Navy submarine, strictly as a deterrent measure, to surface close to the Yantar to make clear that we had been covertly monitoring its every move. “The ship then left UK waters without further loitering and sailed down to the Mediterranean.”.
