Russia could (quite literally) be sailing into dangerous waters, with warnings after one of its ‘spy ships’ was spotted in British waters.
There's a good reason why the Doomsday Clock is closer to midnight than ever before in 2025, and while not the only reason, Russia's constant rumblings about World War III rightly have us worried that Vladimir Putin could be about to push his big red button.
This hasn't been helped by the Russian President discussing his own proposed immortality with China's Xi Jinping, or what about his tests of a nuclear device capable of unleashing a 'radioactive tsunami' on his enemies?
With all this fearmongering, it's no surprise that the British Navy is keeping a close eye on the Yantar as it's spotted off the coast of Scotland. The Russian ship is officially classed as an oceanic research vessel, but for the likes of Britain's defence chiefs, it's enough to raise the alarm.
Advert
There are continued concerns that the Yantar is actually mapping the country's underwater network of cables that provide the United Kingdom with 90% of its data, including billions of dollars in financial information.
Things have been amplified by reports that the Yantar used lasers to disrupt the targeting of RAF pilots, as Defence Secretary John Healey warned the UK has "military options ready" to tackle the vessel.
Referring to the laser incident as 'deeply dangerous', the Defence Secretary accused the Yantar of being "designed for gathering intelligence and mapping our undersea cables." Delivering his own warning to Moscow, Healey reiterated that the Royal Navy frigate HMS Somerset will continue monitoring the Yantar and added: "We see you, we know what you're doing, and if the Yantar travels south this week, we are ready."
Advert
While Healey is adamant the Yantar has entered British waters for the second time this year in as many weeks, the UK's Russian embassy has denied all of the above and said it 'raised a smile' amid the idea that the Yantar is anything more than a research ship in international waters.
Maintaining that it has no interest in the network of underwater cables, the embassy advised the UK to "refrain from destructive steps."
This isn't enough for one former head of MI6. Sir Richard Dearlove led MI6 from 1999 to 2004 and told Sky News that the Yantar is part of Russia's 'underwater warfare capability': I think it can launch submersibles from under its keel. And they're probably recceing undersea connections into the UK.
Advert
"We have a lot of strategic links; whether that's data links, electricity cables, gas links.
"There's a real vulnerability there. It's quite normal in a heightened tension for the Russians to be scouting this stuff out."
Speaking to Sky's Matt Barbet, Dearlove reiterated that the HMS Somerset would be 'very aggressive' if the Yantar comes too close: "Maybe they would fire a warning shot, or maybe cut it off in such a way as to get it to change course."
Before you go running for an underground bunker, Dearlove said the UK will be wary of causing 'unnecessary confrontation': "It's much better to sort of broadcast a warning; and I think it's quite clever to John Healey to stand up in there and make a public display of our knowledge."