The British Navy is monitoring the alleged Russian spy ship Jantar, which sailed through UK waters on Monday, British Defense Minister John Healey said on Wednesday on the floor of the Parliament. The vessel, he said, was intended to gather intelligence and map Britain’s critical undersea infrastructure. TASR informs about it according to the report of the AFP agency.
The Russian ship was spotted in British waters about 72 kilometers off the coast, after which the Royal Navy deployed its two vessels to track the Russian ship. According to Healey, the ship was found to be moving over critical undersea infrastructure. In this context, he warned Russian President Vladimir Putin. “We see you, we know what you are doing, and we will not hesitate to take strong action to protect this country,” he said. He called the incident with the Russian ship “another example of Russia’s increasing aggression”.
Amber has been spotted in UK waters for the second time in a few months – most recently in November. According to the British minister, the ship is currently in the North Sea. Moscow designates the Amber as a research vessel. According to the BBC, it belongs to the Russian Ministry of Defense. Western countries often spot her in European waters and assume that part of her mission is to map submarine cables.
In recent months, British warships have also followed other vessels of the Russian Navy. London recently reported that in late December the frigate HMS Somerset tracked a group of Russian vessels sailing from the North Sea to the English Channel. However, according to AFP, the group was staying in international waters.
In September of last year, according to the statement, the ships of the Royal Navy monitored four Russian vessels in the waters of the United Kingdom for a week. Royal Air Force fighter jets then intercepted two Russian planes near Britain.
