British submarine surfaces close to a Russian spy ship to warn Putin to back away

A British submarine popped up next to a Russian spy ship as a warning to Moscow after Westminster feared the ‘loitering’ vessel was monitoring undersea cables in the Irish Sea.

HMS Somerset flanks the Russian spy ship Vantar this week in the English Channel. Picture: UK Ministry of Defence

A Royal Navy submarine popped up next to a suspicious Russian spy ship in the Irish Sea after British defence officials decided Vladimir Putin needed to know: “Hello, we can see you”.

The Russian ship Vantar was spotted before Christmas “loitering over critical undersea infrastructure in British waters’’ believed to be British cables which connected England and Scotland with Northern Ireland. Vantar was seen shortly after other Russian vessels – the corvette RFS Soobrazitelny, MV Sparta II and MV General Skobelev – were also closely monitored in British waters.

The Russian activity prompted the recall of 200 Royal Navy sailors who had been on leave on Christmas Day.

On Wednesday, UK Defence Secretary John Healey told MPs Vantar was a Russian spy ship used for gathering intelligence and mapping the UK’s critical underwater infrastructure.

Vantar once again entered the UK’s exclusive economic zone 65kms off the British coast on Monday and was closely trailed by HMS Somerset and HMS Tyne to monitor its movements.

The location of various cables has become highly sensitive after a series of recent cable cutting in the Baltic, impacting on communications to Germany, other EU countries and even electricity between Estonia and Finland. Russia has been blamed for sabotaging the cables in a hybrid war targeting critical infrastructure as a payback for western sanctions imposed for the war in Ukraine.

After Vantar had been spotted in the Irish Sea Mr Healey took bolder action.

He told Westminster: “My message to President Putin is clear. We know what you are doing, and we will not shy away from robust action to protect Britain.”

He authorised for the secretive submarine to came to the surface near the Vantar in a direct warning to Moscow. It is believed the submarine was the Astute class, nuclear powered HMS Anson, believed to be on exercises in the Irish Sea at the time.

‘It (Vantar) was detected loitering over UK critical undersea infrastructure. To deter any potential threat, I took measured steps then as part of a clear direct response to the Russian vessel,’’ Mr Healey said.

“I authorised a Royal Navy submarine, strictly as a deterrent measure, to surface close to Yantar to make it clear that we had been covertly monitoring its every move.

“The ship then left UK waters without further loitering and sailed down to the Mediterranean.”

This week the ship was returning through the English Channel and when it was within the UK exclusive economic zone about 45 miles off the British coast on Monday, Mr Healey changed the rules of engagement to allow the Royal Navy ships to get closer to the Russian vessel.

The British had also deployed RAF maritime patrol aircraft alongside HMS Cattistock, HMS Tyne and RFA Proteus to shadow Yantar’s every movement.

Mr Healey said the government was working with the Joint Expeditionary Force and NATO allies to strengthen responses so that Russian ships and aircraft cannot operate in secrecy near UK or NATO territory.

“We will continue to call out the malign activity that Putin directs, cracking down on the Russian shadow fleet to prevent funding for his illegal invasion of Ukraine,’’ he said.

Under a new NATO deployment designed to strengthen protection of offshore infrastructure in the Baltic Sea, the Royal Air Force will provide P-8 Poseidon and Rivet Joint maritime patrol and surveillance aircraft.