Russian vessel Yantar has entered British waters north of Scotland and directed lasers at Royal Air Force (RAF) pilots monitoring its movements, Defence Secretary John Healey said.
Healey, who claimed the vessel was designed for gathering intelligence and mapping undersea cables, said the laser incident occurred within the last two weeks while the Yantar was being followed by a Royal Navy frigate and RAF Poseidon P-8 planes deployed to “track the vessel’s every move.”
Be in no doubt, we live in a new era of threat.
A Russian spy ship, the Yantar, returned to UK waters and directed lasers at our pilots.
Our government will always do what’s needed to defend Britain, and our Armed Forces stand ready to deter. pic.twitter.com/SpxwFiNnKF
— John Healey (@JohnHealey_MP) November 19, 2025
“That Russian action is deeply dangerous, and this is the second time this year that the ship, the Yantar, has deployed to UK waters,” Healey said.
Healey added that the government is taking the incident “extremely seriously” and has military options ready” should the Yantar pose a threat.
“My message to Russia and to Putin is this: We see you. We know what you’re doing. And if the Yantar travels south this week, we are ready,” Healey said.
The Russian embassy dismissed what it described as “provocative statements” from the UK. It said the Yantar is an “oceanographic research vessel” operating in international waters and that its activities pose no threat to UK security.
The Russian embassy said it was not interested in British underwater communications and urged the UK to “refrain from destructive steps that exacerbate the crisis phenomena on the European continent.”
