Defence Secretary John Healey told The Mirror the public must recognise we are in a ‘new era of threat’ after revealing lasers were aimed at RAF pilots from a Kremlin spy ship this month
Threats to the UK are “real and rising”, the UK’s defence chief has warned after lasers were aimed at RAF pilots from a Russian spy ship.
Speaking to The Mirror, Defence Secretary John Healey said Vladimir Putin is ramping up his agression – and said the public must recognise a “new era of threat”. On Wednesday he dramatically revealed the Navy and Air Force had been deployed against a Kremlin spy ship, the Yantar, which has entered UK waters in recent days.
He confirmed that lasers had been directed at British planes – which he branded “deeply dangerous” – and warned the Russian tyrant: “We see you.”
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Mr Healey said the military would engage the vessel if it changed course in a huge escalation of tensions between the UK and Moscow. The Yantar – designed to carry out surveillance in peacetime and sabotage in conflict – was on the edge of British waters north of Scotland on Wednesday.
A Ministry of Defence (MOD) source said it had crossed into UK waters between November 5 and 11. Mr Healey told this newspaper: “It’s a reminder for people that we see Putin stepping up his attacks in Ukraine, but he’s stepping up his aggression more widely.”
And he continued: “I want people to recognise that we’re in this new era of threat, that it demands this new era for defence. I want people to recognise that as a government we’re making this big commitment to a record increase in defence spending.”
In January the Yantar was warned off by a Royal Navy nuclear-powered submarine after being discovered above undersea cables. Asked how much of an escalation the Yantar’s latest incursion is, the Defence Secretary said: “Look, it’s a reminder of the rising Russian threat.
“We saw the Yantar in our wider waters earlier this year. It’s returned. We know exactly what it’s designed to do.
“We know exactly what it has been doing. And, that’s why I issued that message publicly. We have options, we tracked it closely before, and we’ve acted before.”
Mr Healey said: “If you look at what we did before, it was a powerful and unprecedented demonstration that we were watching it without them knowing.
“We surfaced that nuclear powered attack submarine close to the Yantar last time.” The Defence Secretary revealed the Yantar was “on the edge of UK waters” at a Downing Street press conference.
In a direct warning to Putin he said: “We see you, we know what you’re doing, and if the Yantar travels south this week, we are ready.” And hinting at a direct confrontation he said: “We have military options ready should the Yantar change course.”
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper later said Moscow is escalating its actions after failures on the battlefield in Ukraine. She said: “Russia has failed in its military objectives over the course of this year, so as a result what we have seen them try to do is to seek continually to escalate.
“We can see the approach they are taking, we have no illusions about what they are doing. We see what Putin is doing and we understand and we will continue to be vigilant and determined in our response.”
It comes after the Polish government accused Russia of masterminding an explosion on a train close to the town of Mika on Sunday – a key route toward the border with Ukraine.
Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski branded it an “act of state terrorism” and confirmed that the final remaining Russian consulate in the country was being closed.
Ms Cooper said: “We have also seen in recent days the unprecedented attack on a key railway line in Poland used to deliver vital support to Ukraine. It’s clearly an unacceptable act of sabotage and I have already offered the UK’s full support to Poland in their investigation.”
Earlier this month the Dutch navy escorted the Yantar out of the Netherlands’ part of the North Sea earlier this month. Downing Street would not say what representations the UK Government has made to Russia over the spy ship.
The Prime Minister’s spokesman said yesterday(WED) that “our position on Russian interference is clear” but added: “I’m not going to get into conversations on the diplomatic level”.
On Wednesday Chancellor Rachel Reeves is set to put defending the nation at the heart of her Budget. Mr Healey said Labour is delivering on its pledge to reach 2.5% of GDP on defence three years earlier than anyone expected.
He said at the press conference: “Only Labour has this belief in the extraordinary strengths of Great Britain. The Tories will cut defence again. The Greens want to pull us out of Nato, the SNP spurn the proud Scottish defence industry and Nigel Farage, he’s soft on Putin, weak on Nato and not to be trusted on national security.
“It’s Labour that is the party of defence.”