UK warns Russia after warship enters British waters and directs lasers at British pilots, with defence secretary issuing direct message to Putin.
LONDON: The UK government has warned the Kremlin after a Russian military ship entered British waters and directed lasers at UK pilots.
Defence Secretary John Healey confirmed the Yantar had entered UK waters for the second time this year, following an earlier incursion in January.
He told reporters the vessel was currently “on the edge of UK waters, north of Scotland, having entered the UK’s wider waters over the last few weeks.”
The UK military deployed a Royal Navy frigate and Royal Air Force planes to monitor the ship’s movements.
Healey described the laser targeting of British pilots as “deeply dangerous” and issued a direct warning to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“We see you. We know what you’re doing. If the Yantar travels south this week, we are ready,” he stated.
The defence secretary identified the Yantar as “part of a Russian fleet designed to put and hold our undersea infrastructure and those of our allies at risk.”
Britain and NATO allies have grown increasingly concerned about threats to offshore infrastructure following recent sabotage of undersea telecom and power cables.
Experts and politicians have accused Russia of orchestrating a hybrid war against the West amid ongoing tensions over Ukraine.
