On Wednesday, the Royal Navy said it caught a Russian spy vessel operating in UK waters for the second time in recent weeks.
The Royal Navy stated it would enhance maritime protection measures following the recent sighting of the Russian spy vessel, the Yantar. The ship made its way through the English Channel this week before being flanked by HMS Somerset, says the UK’s Ministry of Defence (MoD).
The Yantar was first spotted in November 2024 and was seen operating where undersea infrastructure is located. The ship eventually departed the area after a warning from a British submarine. The vessel left UK waters for the Mediterranean before returning this week.
Earlier this month, The Dallas Express reported that NATO was launching patrols to help protect undersea cables in the Baltic Sea. The decision was prompted by multiple incidents in the area and a growing concern over Russian spying and sabotage.
Global powers like the United States, Russia, and China continue to find themselves in increasingly tense standoffs in the deep sea. The vast majority of internet traffic and a substantial amount of oil and gas rely on undersea infrastructure, which has resulted in deep oceans becoming the focal point for a growing number of modern geopolitical standoffs.
“My message to President Putin is clear. We know what you are doing, and we will not shy away from robust action to protect Britain,” British Defence Secretary John Healey said on January 22, per CNN.
“Alongside our Joint Expeditionary Force and NATO allies, we are strengthening our response to ensure that Russian ships and aircraft cannot operate in secrecy near UK or NATO territory. We will continue to call out the malign activity that Putin directs, cracking down on the Russian shadow fleet to prevent funding for his illegal invasion of Ukraine,” added Healey.
In 2023, the U.S. Coast Guard said they tracked a suspected Russian espionage ship off the coast of Hawaii for weeks. While foreign military ships are permitted to pass through American waters, the encounter with a Russian vessel came at a time of heightened tension between Moscow and Washington over ongoing fighting in Ukraine.