Russian spy ship Yantar raises alarms in UK waters
The Russian spy ship Yantar has been sighted in British waters near the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea. British services are closely watching the vessel, which is suspected of monitoring underwater infrastructure.
6:18 AM EST, November 15, 2024
According to reports by "Express," Yantar, often described by Western intelligence as a spy ship, was spotted in British territorial waters. The ship is being observed by a P-8A aircraft.
Earlier, the 351-foot vessel sailed through the English Channel.
The Royal Navy has confirmed the presence of the Russian ship and is tracking its movements. In a statement, it emphasized: "The UK military routinely monitors UK territorial waters and the adjacent sea areas to ensure compliance with maritime law, to deter malign activity and to protect our national interests."
Before entering British waters, Yantar was sailing off the coast of Norway, near Andøya Space Port. During this time, the US and Norwegian armed forces conducted exercises involving personnel from the USS Harry S Truman.
Yantar entered service in 2015 and has often been observed near important underwater telecommunications routes and infrastructure. As a mothership for specialized submersibles, it can operate at depths of up to 20,000 feet, allowing it access to telecommunications cables worldwide.
The United States claims to have recently observed increased activity by the Russian navy around key underwater cables. These cables account for most of the digital communication and financial transactions worth over $10 trillion daily. Hundreds of underwater cables span the seas and oceans worldwide, with the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea being particularly vulnerable. This critical underwater infrastructure is largely unprotected, and its exact location is publicly available, posing a potential target for the Kremlin.
