UK accuses Russian spy ship of pointing lasers at pilots watching vessel
Al Jazeera
Defence Secretary John Healey condemns the Yantar’s actions as ‘deeply dangerous’ and says Britain is poised to react.
The United Kingdom has warned it is ready to use “military options” if necessary after a Russian spy ship that has spent weeks on the edge of British waters directed lasers at British pilots sent to monitor the vessel.
In a speech in London on Wednesday, British Defence Secretary John Healey condemned the Yantar’s actions against royal air force (RAF) pilots as “deeply dangerous” and said Britain is poised to react depending on the vessel’s next move.
The defence secretary said a UK naval frigate and RAF P-8 planes had been deployed to monitor the ship, which is designed for intelligence gathering and mapping undersea cables, as it sailed in waters north of Scotland.
“My message to Russia and to [President Vladimir] Putin is this: We see you. We know what you’re doing. And if the Yantar travels south this week, we are ready,” Healey said.
“This is the first time we’ve had this action from Yantar directed against the British RAF. We take it extremely seriously,” he added.
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