Vladimir Putin has been warned the Royal Navy is ‘ready’ to respond after it emerged a Kremlin spy ship had fired lasers at British planes – and it’s not the first Russian warship to cause alarm
The Royal Navy is tracking a Russian spy ship after lasers were aimed at RAF pilots – but it’s not the first time one of Putin’s vessels has come dangerously close to British territory.
Yesterday, Defence Secretary John Healey warned that the nation is entering a “new era of threat” amid the reappearance of intelligence ship Yantar on the edge of maritime borders north of Scotland – the same vessel which sparked alarm when it was spotted loitering over “critical undersea infrastructure” earlier this year.
Russian ships with military or government links have been identified in and around British waters more than 40 times since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 – signs of what national security expert Professor Anthony Glees described as a “hybrid war”.
Below we list nine that have posed the most serious threats to national security:
Yantar
Yantar has been a recurring threat around British waters in recent months. Defence officials voiced their concerns in January when the Kremlin spy ship was spotted above vital undersea cables in the North Sea that carry over 90% of the nation’s data, including internet traffic and financial transactions.
It has been under close surveillance ever since – but yesterday’s announcement from the Defence Secretary that the ship had directed lasers at British planes in an effort to dazzle pilots marks a significant escalation in the stand-off between the two sides. The ship is currently skirting just a few miles from the UK maritime boundary, and John Healey has said that British forces would have “military options ready should the Yantar change course”.
The Kremlin maintains that Yantar is merely carrying out oceanographic research for scientific purposes, and yesterday accused Number 10 of “Russophobia” for identifying the vessel as a threat.
Warning that the ship could be used to cause severe disruption to our telecommunications, Professor Anthony Glees told the Mirror: “Yes, the Yantar is technically in international waters but it’s intentions are crystal clear and Putin is the last person on earth who lecture us on the sanctity of territorial limits at sea – think the Baltic – or on land -think of his attack on Ukraine.”
“In order to over-power us, the Russians will want to cut our comms cables, making us blind, deaf and dumb. They will attempt to disrupt our various counter-measures, they are right now busy practising using drones to shut down our air bases, preventing us from striking back.”
Admiral Golovko
The RFN (Russian Federal Navy) Admiral Golovoko frigate has crossed into the English Channel at least twice in the past 12 months. This happened most recently in April, leading the Royal Navy to scramble the HMS St Albans to closely tail the vessel and launch a Merlin helicopter to gather information from the air.
Severomorsk destroyer
In March, Royal Navy warships closely followed a group of Russian ships returning from Syria as they passed through the English Channel.
The Russian ships included destroyer RFN Severomorsk, landing ship RFN Alexander Shabalin and two transport ships, MV Sparta IV and MV Siyanie Severa. They were shadowed by Type 23 frigate HMS Somerset, along with minehunter HMS Cattistock, RFA Tidesurge and Navy helicopters, who were said to report on task group’s “every move”.
Boikiy
The same month, the Boikiy naval corvette was seen escorting a larger cargo vessel, the Baltic Leader, carrying weapons believed to be destined for the Ukraine conflict through the English Channel. Those on board the ship were reported to be dressed in military fatigues and manning machine guns.
Yuri Ivanov
In May, the Royal Navy’s HMS Dragon monitored Russian intelligence gathering ship Yuri Ivanov as it loitered in waters off the Outer Hebrides as the major NATO exercise Formidable Shield took place nearby. The Type 45 destroyer, normally based at Portsmouth, launched a Merlin helicopter to collect information on the Russian ship until it travelled north into the Arctic.
Stoikiy
Also in May, HMS Ledbury, HMS Hurworth and 814 Naval Air Squadron were activated to follow RFN Stoikiy as the Russian warship sailed west through the Channel to meet two merchant vessels, Sparta IV and General Skobelev on a return journey from the Mediterranean.
Neustrashimy
Two months ago, Plymouth-based frigate HMS Iron Duke was sent out alongside a Wildcat fighter jet from Yeovilton’s 815 Naval Air Squadron to track RFN Neustrashimy and cargo ship Sparta IV as they crossed the English Channel towards northwestern France. The ships were then tracked by NATO allies after they left British waters.
Admiral Grigorovich
In May 2023, Portsmouth-based destroyer HMS Defender monitored the Russian guided-missile frigate Admiral Grigorovich and two Stereguschiy II-class corvettes as they approached UK waters. Then, in June this year, the same vessel was monitored by patrol ship HMS Trent and Wildcat helicopters from 815 Naval Air Squadron as they sailed past Gibraltar, through the English Channel and into the North Sea.
Admiral Vladimirsky
In March, Royal Navy minehunter HMS Cattistock and a Wildcat helicopter were sent out to track Russia’s 50-year-old oceanographic survey ship, Admiral Vladimirskiy – a vessel long suspected of being part of the Kremlin’s ‘shadow fleet’ of spy ships. Admiral Vladimirsky, which is part of the Russian Navy’s Baltic Fleet, was closely shadowed as it passed through the English Channel over several days through busy shipping.
