Russian spy ship Yantar uses lasers against Royal Air Force pilots off the coast of Scotland

The Russian spy ship Yantar has once again approached British waters off the coast of Scotland, using laser pointers against British reconnaissance aircraft pilots who were monitoring its activities. At a Downing Street press conference, the UK’s Secretary of State for Defense John Healey announced that the vessel had entered British waters for the second time this year, the BBC reported.

Healey described the vessel as part of a Russian fleet designed to threaten the underwater infrastructure of the UK and its allies. The ship is built to collect intelligence and map subsea cables and is part of Russia's Main Directorate of Deep-Sea Research program. According to Healey, the vessel can conduct surveillance in peacetime and sabotage during a conflict. The Secretary for Defense said the UK’s armed forces are tracking the ship, blocking its attempts to maneuver improperly, and are prepared to act.

The Secretary stressed that the use of laser pointers against Royal Air Force pilots was the first incident of its kind — a “deeply dangerous” move that the UK takes “extremely seriously.” He added that he has changed Royal Navy rules to allow for closer monitoring of the Yantar in British waters, explaining:

“We have military options ready should the Yantar change course. I am not going to reveal those because that only makes President Putin wiser.”

The Insider reviewed recent Royal Air Force flight paths using Flightradar and found that the aircraft were most likely tracking the Yantar within the area marked by a red ellipse on the screenshot. At least three aircraft took part in monitoring the vessel, which likely began at around 11:45 GMT:

• TRTN39 (Airbus KC2 Voyager)
• LOS00054 (Eurofighter Typhoon FGR.4)
• REBEL54 (Eurofighter Typhoon FGR.4)

Healey’s statement came amid criticism from a parliamentary committee pointing to the UK military’s heavy reliance on U.S. defense resources and its insufficient readiness to protect the country from armed threats. However, Healey said the British government holds a different view of U.S. commitments to NATO, stressing that security is a responsibility shared by both parties. He acknowledged that Britain must accelerate the strengthening of its defense capabilities, which he said the Labour government has been doing since taking office.

In parallel, British negotiators are finalizing an agreement with the EU to grant UK defense companies access to the bloc’s €150 billion defense loan program, which is set to launch next year. London is reportedly seeking to conclude the talks in the coming weeks so that British firms can participate in the first round of bidding, with applications due by the end of the month.

In January 2025, the Yantar approached the site of the sunken cargo ship Ursa Major in the Mediterranean, between Spain and Algeria. The Yantar carries two types of autonomous deep-sea submersibles — the Rus and Konsul classes.

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