UK issues warning to Russian spy ship on edge of its waters, unveils munitions plan

London: The UK on Wednesday issued a stark warning to Russia over a spy ship it said has been operating on the edge of its waters north of Scotland and even directed lasers at Royal Air Force (RAF) pilots.

UK Defence Secretary John Healey used an address in London to not only caution Russian President Vladimir Putin against his ship moving any further into British territorial waters, but also to stress the need for Britain to “step up” munitions production in the face of global tensions, including "armed conflict" between India and Pakistan.

He said that RAF pilots have been monitoring the Russian vessel named Yantar since it entered the UK’s wider waters over the last few weeks because it poses a threat to the country’s undersea infrastructure.

“My message to Russia and to Putin is this: We see you. We know what you're doing. And if the Yantar travels south this week, we are ready," said Healey.

“We deployed a Royal Navy frigate to monitor and RAF P-8 planes to monitor and track this vessel’s every move, during which the Yantar directed lasers at our pilots. That Russian action is deeply dangerous, and this is the second time this year that this ship, the Yantar, has deployed to UK waters," the minister said.

The Russian Embassy in London claimed the allegations were “provocative” and “Russophobic”, claiming the frigate was an “oceanographic research vessel”.

“The endless accusations and suspicions of the British leadership only raise a smile. The actions of our country do not affect the interests of the United Kingdom and are not aimed at undermining its security. We are not interested in British underwater communications," an embassy spokesperson said.

"We urge the British side to refrain from destructive steps that exacerbate the crisis phenomena on the European continent," the spokesperson said.

However, the UK has stressed that the ship is part of a Russian fleet, which was not just a naval operation, but part of a Russian programme driven by what they call the Main Directorate of Deep-Sea Research, or GUGI, designed to have capabilities which can undertake surveillance in peacetime and sabotage in conflict.

“It is a demonstration, if you like, of a British readiness to act, a British capability to act, because, make no mistake, we will not tolerate a threat to the British people’s essential connections under water,” said Healey.

The minister went on to assert that the UK faces a “new era of hard power” as the world is "becoming more dangerous".

“Our world is changing. It is less predictable. It is more dangerous. And in the last year alone, we’ve seen the Israel-Iran war bring the Middle East close to the very brink, armed conflict break out between India and Pakistan, Chinese spies targeting our democracy at home, Putin escalate still further his war in Ukraine,” he said.

"And in just this last year, we’ve also seen Europe’s skies plagued by drone disruptions, we’ve seen Russian incursions into Nato airspace double, and we’ve seen 90,000 cyber attacks on the UK defence system alone.

“This is a new era of threat. It demands a new era for defence, an era of hard power, strong allies and of sure diplomacy. And as the threat grows, Britain must step up, and we are,” he added.

The address came as the UK’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced that at least 13 sites across the UK have been identified to boost the UK’s warfighting readiness by building the "factories of the future".

The MoD has funded several feasibility studies for the new energetics factories – producing munitions and military explosives – to kickstart high-volume production at scale from as early as next year.

“We are making defence an engine for growth, unambiguously backing British jobs and British skills as we make the UK better ready to fight and better able to deter future conflicts,” added Healey.

He also revealed that two new drone factories will open this week as a sign that the UK is at the leading edge of innovation in the defence sphere.