ROYAL Navy warships have scared away a Russian spy vessel after it was spotted in the English Channel – as fears grow of international sabotage.
Vladimir Putin has been warned “we see you and we’ll take action” after the enemy ship, known as Yantar, started to loiter near to Britain for the second time in months.
PARoyal Navy warships have scared away a Russian spy vessel after it was spotted in the English Channel[/caption]
SWNSYantar is believed to be a key spy ship for Putin[/caption]
AFPPutin’s Russia have been accused of being behind several recent deep sea incidents[/caption]
Fears are growing across Europe over potential Russian led sabotage after a number of deep sea cables have been cut in recent months.
The UK is playing a leading role in countering any growing oversea threat to offshore infrastructure alongside its Nato allies.
The Yantar vessel is believed to be armed with state-of-the-art Rus and Konsul-class mini-subs.
These are specially designed to interfere with key communication points which sit as deep as 20,000ft.
The stealth subs deployed by the ships use robotic arms to tamper with or even cut key cables.
The Project 22010-class intelligence ship’s official designation is an oceanic research vessel working for the Kremlin’s deep sea sciences division.
But many Western officials believe this is a flimsy cover for her real role as a spy ship.
Defence Secretary John Healey announced the reemergence of the Yantar and said the Navy took immediate steps to monitor its movements.
RAF maritime patrol aircraft was deployed to keep a close eye on the vessel as it quickly moved away and headed towards the Mediterranean.
HMS Cattistock, HMS Tyne and RFA Proteus warships were are also sent to shadow Yantar’s movements.
Healey told MPs today: “It was detected loitering over UK critical undersea infrastructure.
“To deter any potential threat, I took measured steps then as part of a clear direct response to the Russian vessel.
“I also wanted to confirm to the House that I authorised a Royal Navy submarine, strictly as a deterrent measure, to surface close to Yantar to make clear that we had been covertly monitoring its every move.
“The ship then left UK waters without further loitering and sailed down to the Mediterranean.”
We see you, we know what you’re doing and we will not shy away from robust action to protect this country
John Healey
It has previously been warned that vital undersea cables could be used to cripple Britain by its enemies.
Mr Healey also sent a direct message to Putin telling him and the Kremlin to be careful over what they plan to do next.
He said: “We see you, we know what you’re doing and we will not shy away from robust action to protect this country.”
Suspicions have been raised over potential deep sea disruption from Putin‘s Russia and Xi Jinping‘s China after a string of key underwater cables have been sliced in recent months.
In January Russia was accused of sabotage in the Baltic Sea after a Kremlin ship allegedly cut a key Finish power cable with its anchor after dragging it on the seabed for dozens of miles.
SWNSThe British Navy first started tracking the spy ship in November[/caption]
ROYAL NAVYThe HMS Cattistock was one of the ship’s monitoring Yantar[/caption]
The Estlink 2 power cable in the Gulf of Finland was ruptured along with four other communication lines in the suspected deliberate act of vandalism.
Officials believe the ship was a 751ft Eagle S part of Russia’s “shadow” or “dark” fleet operated by Putin to evade sanctions.
A Chinese vessel was also seen in the area at the time of the incident.
Since Vlad’s invasion of Ukraine almost three years ago, Russia have been using hybrid warfare tactics to get to their enemies.
This has typically targeted nations who have strongly backed Ukraine such as Germany by targeting critical infrastructure, such as undersea cables.
The recent issues have prompted Nato to bolster up their surveillance systems across Europe.
A giant 36ft stealth submarine drone dubbed the “Blue Whale” has been deployed in the Baltic Sea by Germany.
The huge drone is set to patrol across European waters on behalf of Nato after being released by the Germany navy.
The autonomous Blue Whale’s goal is to carry out deep sea surveillance in the Baltic Sea.
Its capabilities also include the ability to detect and pursue suspicious vessels as well as mines linked to foreign interference.
German navy commander Jan Christian Kaack says it will confront “high-performance weapons from potential foes, including some which are extremely difficult to defend against”.
