Russian submarine followed spy ship into British waters as it mapped gas pipeline
A Russian submarine has been deployed alongside a spy ship to map critical undersea infrastructure around Britain, it has been revealed.
The Ministry of Defense (MoD) has declassified a photograph of the incident which saw a submarine shadowing the Yantar, which was reportedly investigating the gas pipeline connecting the UK and Ireland and was officially identified as a Russian research vessel. It was unclear whether the escort was one of Russia’s own special-purpose sabotage submarines.
An anti-submarine Merlin Mk2 helicopter could be seen in the photo following Yantar in the Irish Sea from November last year; A British submarine also emerged from the surface nearby.
This is believed to be one of several operations in which Russian submarines escorted the Yantar into waters near the British Isles. Sunday Times.
First sea lord general Sir Gwyn Jenkins said earlier this month that there had been a “30 per cent increase in Russian incursions into our waters” in the past two years.
He said the activity was most visible in the presence of spy ships such as the Yantar operating near UK waters, but warned: “What concerns me most is what’s going on beneath the waves.”
Just last week Sir Gwyn warned that Russia was renewing its investment in its elite deep-sea submarine division known as GUGI. Britain imposed sanctions in June this year on the Russian military organization that spearheaded the development of Russia’s underwater intelligence gathering operations.
A Ministry of Defense Spokesperson said: “As the Minister of Defense said, our message to President Putin is clear: We see you, we know what you are doing, and we will not shy away from strong action to protect this country.
“We are acutely aware of the threat posed by Russia, which includes attempts to map undersea cables, networks and pipelines belonging to both the UK and our allies, and we are tackling these threats head on.
“The Prime Minister has therefore laid out the biggest sustained increase in defense spending since the Cold War, including a commitment to increase spending to 2.5 per cent of GDP from April 2027 and a target of spending 3 per cent of GDP in the next parliament as economic and fiscal conditions allow.
“We also imposed 900 new sanctions against individuals, entities, and ships under the Russian regime and accelerated the development and deployment of advanced anti-submarine technologies.”
The government believes the Atlantic Bastion programme, which integrates autonomous ships, AI-enabled sensors, warships and aircraft to protect critical undersea infrastructure against evolving challenges, will help secure the North Atlantic for the UK and NATO against the threat of Russia’s evolving submarine force.
