Russian spy ship breaches allied waters, fires lasers at military planes
British defense secretary John Healey said a Russian spy ship had entered the NATO ally's waters and directed lasers at military planes sent to monitor it.
It comes as NATO says Russia is repeatedly testing the reaction and resolve of the Western alliance in a string of serious provocations as Moscow rapidly rearms in preparation for a potential major war in Europe. The Kremlin denies seeking war with NATO and says the reverse is true.
"As I speak, a Russian spy ship, the Yantar, is on the edge of UK waters north of Scotland, having entered the UK's wider waters over the last few weeks," Healey said in a speech at Downing Street in London on Wednesday morning.
"This is a vessel designed for gathering intelligence and mapping our undersea cables. We deployed a Royal Navy frigate and RAF P-8 planes to monitor and track this vessel's every move, during which the Yantar directed lasers at our pilots.
"That Russian action is deeply dangerous and this is the second time this year that this ship, the Yantar, has deployed to UK waters. So 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."
This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.
