18:29 19-11-2025

UK Confronts Russia Over Yantar Ship and Laser Incident

© A. Krivonosov

UK Defence Secretary John Healey accuses Russia’s Yantar vessel of laser interference near Scotland, while Moscow rejects the claims as fabricated NATO justification.

UK Defence Secretary John Healey has issued a sharp message to Moscow over the movements of the Russian vessel Yantar, the Independent reports. According to Healey, the intelligence-gathering ship, spotted north of Scotland, allegedly used laser beams to interfere with British pilots monitoring its route and maneuvers.

Healey stressed that London was fully aware of the vessel’s actions and said his message to Russia and President Vladimir Putin was that the UK was watching closely and understood what was happening.

Back in January, Healey had already referred to Yantar as a «spy ship», claiming it was collecting data and surveying sensitive sections of the UK’s underwater infrastructure.

The Russian Embassy in London dismissed these accusations, calling talk of «Russian espionage» in the English Channel a fabricated narrative designed to justify NATO’s expanded naval and air presence in the Baltic and North Seas.