Declassified picture reveals British sub confronting Russian spy ship Yantar
A declassified image released by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) today shows a Royal Navy submarine and helicopter confronting the Russian spy ship Yantar in November 2024
A newly declassified image shows a British submarine confronting the Russian spy ship Yantar.
It comes after Defence Secretary John Healey revealed in November the Yantar shone lasers at RAF pilots and was lurking at the edge of UK waters. At the time he condemned the “deeply dangerous action” by Russia and said the vessel was designed for gathering intelligence and mapping out undersea cables.
On Sunday an image released by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) shows a Royal Navy submarine and helicopter confronting the Russian ship. During the separate incident in November 2024, RAF maritime patrol aircraft, alongside HMS Cattistock, HMS Tyne, and RFA Proteus were deployed to shadow Yantar’s every movement.
Speaking to MPs in January, Mr Healey said he also authorised a Royal Navy submarine – strictly as a deterrent measure – to surface close to the Yantar. The show of force was to “make clear that we had been covertly monitoring its every move,” the Defence Secretary said.
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He told MPs at the time: “The ship then left UK waters – without further loitering – and sailed down to the Mediterranean.”
A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: “As the Defence Secretary has said, our message to President Putin is clear: We see you. We know what you are doing. And we will not shy away from robust action to protect this country.”
They added: “We are acutely aware of the threat posed by Russia, which includes attempts by GUGI to map undersea cables, networks, and pipelines belonging to both the UK and our allies, and we are tackling these threats head on.
“This includes introducing over 900 new sanctions against individuals, entities and ships under the Russia regime, shadowing Russian vessels in around UK waters, and accelerating the development and deployment of advanced anti-submarine technology.
“Through the groundbreaking Atlantic Bastion programme, we are leading the transformation to new hybrid navies – integrating autonomous vessels, AI-enabled sensors, warships, and aircraft to safeguard critical undersea infrastructure against evolving challenges.”
