A Russian spy ship operating in waters north of Scotland has attempted to jam the GPS systems of a Royal Navy frigate while simultaneously targeting RAF pilots with military-grade lasers, Defence Secretary John Healey has revealed.
Dangerous Provocation in UK Waters
The research vessel Yantar, operated by Russia's secretive deep-sea research unit GUGI, has been spotted lurking on the edge of British waters for several weeks. This marks the second time this year that the Yantar has deployed to UK waters, raising serious concerns about Russian intentions.
According to defence sources speaking to the Telegraph, the Russian crew used jamming technology to interfere with the global positioning systems of HMS Somerset. While the warship operates using both civilian and military-grade GPS systems, only the civilian-grade systems were affected due to military systems being encrypted and nearly impossible to disrupt.
A defence source described the jamming as creating 'more low-level disruption, causing a nuisance' rather than posing an immediate critical threat to navigation.
Unprecedented Laser Attacks on RAF Aircraft
In what Defence Secretary Healey called a 'deeply dangerous' provocation, the Yantar's crew directed military-grade lasers at pilots of RAF P-8 Poseidon long-range reconnaissance aircraft. These aircraft had been deployed alongside HMS Somerset to monitor and track the Russian vessel's movements.
Healey confirmed this represents the first time a Russian crew has used lasers against UK forces, describing the escalation as unprecedented and something the government is taking 'extremely seriously'.
The incident has prompted changes to the Royal Navy's rules of engagement, allowing vessels to track the Yantar more closely. Healey has confirmed that military options are ready should the Russian ship change course, though he declined to provide specific details for security reasons.
Threat to Critical National Infrastructure
The Yantar is suspected by Western intelligence of being capable of mapping vital undersea infrastructure, including internet cables that carry 99% of all internet traffic. The vessel is thought to be equipped with submersibles capable of cutting these cables, which could cripple the UK's telecommunications infrastructure in any conflict scenario.
Commercial vessels operating near the Yantar, including fishing boats, also reported experiencing GPS disruptions during the incident, highlighting the broader impact of Russian electronic warfare activities.
Healey delivered a stark message to Moscow: 'We see you, we know what you're doing, and if the Yantar travels south this week, we are ready.' The Defence Secretary confirmed that during the Yantar's previous appearance in British waters, a Royal Navy submarine was surfaced close to the ship as a demonstration of British capability.
This latest incident follows the Yantar being chased out of the Irish Sea last November after 'loitering over UK critical undersea infrastructure' off the coast of Cornwall, with the vessel reappearing in UK waters again in January.
