Russian spy ship Yantar is being tracked north of Scotland after what British officials described as a recent incident in which lasers were directed at Royal Air Force pilots, the UK government said Thursday, prompting heightened naval surveillance and changes to rules of engagement.
A government spokesperson said Defence Forces “are aware of how a known Russian ship is currently tracking” and that Minister for Defence Helen McEntee has been briefed. For operational and security reasons McEntee declined to comment further, according to a statement to RTÉ News.
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The vessel, Yantar, which the UK and other NATO navies classify as an intelligence-collection ship equipped for mapping undersea infrastructure, was reported by British officials to have directed lasers at RAF pilots flying north of Scotland. UK Secretary of State for Defence John Healey said military options are prepared should the ship pose a threat.
“This is the first time we’ve had this action from Yantar directed against the British RAF. We take it extremely seriously,” Healey said, adding he had “changed the navy’s rules of engagement so that we can follow more closely, monitor more closely, the activities of the Yantar when it’s in our wider waters.”
British officials said the surveillance measures come as missions to shadow Russian vessels and submarines have become more frequent since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Royal Navy and RAF crews regularly monitor ships considered potential threats to national security.
The Yantar previously operated near subsea cables in the Irish Sea just north of Dublin in November 2024, a deployment that raised concerns about the security of undersea communications infrastructure. Officials warned the ship could move south through the Irish Sea or along the west coast of Ireland, operating within Ireland’s exclusive economic zone.
Defence analyst and former Army ranger Cathal Berry said the prospect of the Yantar approaching Irish waters would amount to a test for Ireland’s newly appointed minister for foreign affairs and defence. “I’ve no doubt the Kremlin are fully aware that Ireland has a brand-new Defence minister and they would relish the possibility of testing her at their earliest opportunity,” he said.
The Russian embassy in London rejected what it called “endless accusations,” saying Moscow’s actions do not target UK interests or undermine its security and asserting it is “not interested in British underwater communications.” The embassy urged Britain to avoid steps that would “exacerbate the crisis phenomena on the European continent.”
UK officials gave no immediate timeline for how long the Yantar might remain in the area. Defence sources said the altered rules of engagement are intended to ensure closer monitoring and safer, clearer responses by British forces should the ship’s activities escalate.
Additional reporting by PA.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
