Navy undersea cable showdown on Britain’s doorstep: Warship forces Russian spy ship out of the Irish Sea after it was noticed over crucial subsea cables – miles from UK coast

A navy warship stepped in to see off Vladimir Putin‘s spy vessel after it was caught brazenly loitering in the Irish Sea. 

The Yantar, billed by Moscow as an ‘oceanographic research vessel’,  was spotted on Thursday lurking near the Isle of Man. 

The position of the spy ship, equipped with mini submarines, was assessed to be directly above undersea energy cables linking Britain and Ireland.

It triggered Royal Navy vessels to re-route to the area.

In the early hours of yesterday morning, Irish Defence Forces’ LÉ James Joyce, equipped with cannons and machine guns, was called into action to escort Putin’s surveillance ship out of the Irish exclusive economic zone.

Its movements were monitored by the Air Corps as it headed south, reported the Guardian.  

The research vessel Yantar was one of three Russian vessels caught sailing through the Channel in recent days.

The Russian parliament previously described the Yantar as carrying equipment ‘designed for deep-sea tracking’ and ‘connecting to top secret cables’.

The incident came as RAF jets were scrambled to monitor a Russian aircraft that was nearing UK airspace. 

According to security sources, it is likely either a US or British submarine would also have been tasked to monitor her movements, and be alert to any bid by her 60-man crew to reach the cables. 

UK security sources said the Yantar wanted to send a chilling message to Britain regarding the vulnerability of its undersea cables and pipelines.

One described her presence as ‘dangerous’ and said she is gathering intel, ‘most likely to assess the vulnerability of the cables’.

Meanwhile, naval experts warned Putin ‘probing the defences of western Europe’ was another ‘wake-up call’ for Ireland to bolster its naval capabilities. 

While one warned the Kremlin may be trying to map the energy pipelines and communication cables along the seabed to potentially one day launch a sabotage attack on the network. 

Iain Ballantyne, the editor of Warships International Fleet Review magazine, told the Express the West should be monitoring the Yantar’s movements ‘very closely’. 

‘And if Russia is to take revenge one day for the UK and other NATO nations assisting Ukraine in its fight for survival, then it will possibly be via unseen activities like seabed sabotage,’ he said. 

‘Russia is already suspected of doing such things since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.’ 

It was the second time in three months that Russian ships and aircraft had been detected around UK airspace and waters within a week of each other.

The Yantar briefly appeared some 60 kilometres off the coast of Ireland before disappearing again on Thursday, raising fears it was operating above vital undersea cables responsible for connecting Britain and Ireland and carrying the UK’s digital data.

Despite its official status as a research vessel, a Russian parliament publication previously said the Yantar carries technology ‘designed for deep-sea tracking, as well as equipment for connecting to top-secret communication cables’.

Edward Burke, an assistant professor in the history of war at University College Dublin, told the Irish Examiner the situation was alarming.

‘Once again we see the Russian navy probing the defences of western Europe. It’s yet another wake-up call – one that we shouldn’t need – that Ireland needs to bolster its naval capabilities and deepen its maritime security partnerships in Europe,’ he said.

The Royal Navy dispatched HMS Cattistock to shadow the vessel while the RAF sent a Poseidon P8 reconnaissance plane to track its movements.

Meanwhile, two Typhoon fighter jets from RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland followed a Russian Tupolev-142, a maritime reconnaissance aircraft known as the ‘Bear-F’ in NATO countries, as it flew over the North Sea on Thursday. 

It was the second time in three months that Russian ships and aircraft had been detected around UK airspace and waters within a week of each other.

‘Our adversaries should be in no doubt of our steadfast determination and formidable ability to protect the UK,’ said armed forces minister Luke Pollard.

‘The Royal Navy and RAF (Royal Air Force) have once again shown they stand ready to defend our country at a moment’s notice and I pay tribute to the professionalism and bravery of those involved in these latest operations,’ he added.

The RAF scramble to intercept the Bear-F came days after the Royal Navy was forced to shadow Russian military vessels passing through the Channel that were accompanied by the Yantar. 

It was the second time in three months that Russian ships and aircraft had been detected around UK airspace and waters within a week of each other.

Incidents involving Russian and Western aircraft have multiplied over the recent months against the backdrop of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Earlier this week, Putin’s most modern frigate passed through the English Channel on its maiden long-distance voyage.

The Admiral Golovko, the newest member of Russia’s Northern Fleet, is armed with hypersonic Tsirkon missiles.

These projectiles can travel some 900km at several times the speed of sound, making it almost impossible for conventional air defence systems to shoot them down.

The warship, one of 10 planned for production as part of Russia’s Project 22350, left its Arctic home base in Severomorsk almost two weeks days ago and sailed through the Barents, Norwegian and North Seas before heading for the Channel.

It came as the Kremlin leader looks to exploit Donald Trump’s US presidential election victory. 

His return to the White House is expected to see US submarines, which for decades have patrolled the North Sea and Irish Sea to keep Russian vessels at bay, being withdrawn from next year.