Russian spy ship monitored by royal navy off UK coast
The Russian spy ship Yantar, suspected of gathering information, including on underwater cables, appeared near the coast of the United Kingdom. Defence Minister John Healey confirmed that the ship entered the country's exclusive economic zone. In response, the frigate HMS Somerset and the patrol vessel HMS Tyne were dispatched to monitor its movements. He also revealed that towards the end of last year, the UK employed one of their nuclear-powered submarines to send a clear message to Russia, surfacing it next to Yantar.
According to John Healey, the ship entered the exclusive economic zone of the United Kingdom on Tuesday, 21 January. "I am making it clear: this is a Russian spy ship, used for gathering information and monitoring critical underwater infrastructure," said the British Defence Minister. "Over the last two days, the Royal Navy has sent HMS Somerset and HMS Tyne to monitor the ship minute by minute in our waters," he added.
Russian spy ship near Britain
This is not the first incident near the United Kingdom involving the Russian spy ship Yantar, which is officially presented as a research vessel. A similar situation occurred in November 2024. As Healey revealed, the British used one of their nuclear-powered submarines as a deterrent. "I instructed the Royal Navy submarine to surface near Yantar, solely as a deterrent measure to make it clear that we were secretly monitoring its every move," explained the politician.
The War Zone noted that the British government's disclosure of any information about the actions of the nuclear-powered submarine fleet, especially concerning such sensitive reconnaissance missions, is rare. According to the service, this move was most likely aimed at discouraging Russia from further espionage activities directed against critical underwater infrastructure.
However, the British did not disclose which specific submarine was meant to send the clear message to the Russians. Healey only recalled that at the end of 2024, Yantar's movements were tracked by other British units. Among them were the Hunt-class minehunter HMS Cattistock, the patrol vessel HMS Tyne, and the multi-role oceanographic vessel RFA Proteus, designed for combating underwater threats.
British submarines
The War Zone believes that one of the five currently active Astute-class submarines most likely surfaced next to Yantar. These are among the most technologically advanced units in their class, designed and built to provide the Royal Navy with an advantage in underwater operations. These submarines, designed by BAE Systems at the Barrow-in-Furness shipyard, entered service in the early 21st century, replacing the older Trafalgar-class units.
The Astute-class submarines have nuclear propulsion, giving them an almost unlimited operational range. The vessels can remain hidden underwater for many months. Their submerged displacement is approximately 8,150 tonnes. The submarines are about 100 metres long, making them some of the largest submarines in the British fleet. Their speed, reaching about 30 knots, is also noteworthy, placing them among the fastest submarines in the world.
Onboard, they carry Spearfish torpedoes, capable of eliminating surface and underwater targets, as well as Tomahawk Block IV cruise missiles. Tomahawks enable precise attacks on ground targets up to 1,600 kilometres away.
