--- title: "Royal Navy Nuclear Submarine Surfaced Next To Russian Spy Ship To Send A Clear Message" description: "The Russian spy ship Yantar, accused of mapping underwater infrastructure, was back in U.K. waters this week. The Russian spy ship Yantar, accused of mapping underwater infrastructure, was back in U.K. waters this week." date: "2025-01-22" modified: "2025-01-22" authors: - name: "Thomas Newdick" job_title: "Staff Writer" link: "https://www.twz.com/authors/thomas-newdick" url: "https://www.twz.com/sea/royal-navy-nuclear-submarine-surfaced-next-to-russian-spy-ship-to-send-clear-message" categories: - "Around The Globe" - "Espionage" - "Europe" - "Navies" - "News & Features" - "Nuclear Attack Submarines (SSNs)" - "Royal Navy" - "Russia" - "Russian Navy" - "Sea" - "Submarines" - "United Kingdom" tags: - "Yantar" --- # Royal Navy Nuclear Submarine Surfaced Next To Russian Spy Ship To Send A Clear Message ![Royal Navy warships tracked a suspected Russian spy ship as it sailed through waters close to the UK. Yantar, believed to be used by the Russian Navy for intelligence gathering, was shadowed by HMS Somerset and HMS Tyne. Somerset covertly launched her Merlin helicopter, which used its powerful sensors to locate the Russian ship as it made its way north towards the English Channel. The Type 23 frigate closed in on Yantar’s location and intercepted it in the entrance to the Channel – south of the traffic separation scheme at Ushant, near France. The Plymouth-based warship took over monitoring duties from NATO allies after they shadowed Yantar in waters close to France. Somerset used her cutting-edge radars and sensors to report on every move during the operation, as she maintained a close distance to Yantar through the Channel and the Strait of Dover. Patrol ship Tyne was also monitoring the Yantar – last in waters around the UK in November when its activities were monitored by several Royal Navy units.]() *Crown Copyright* The United Kingdom has confirmed that one of its Royal Navy nuclear-powered submarines surfaced close to the *[Yantar]()*, a notorious Russian spy ship late last year, to make it clear it was being observed. The revelation came as the Royal Navy was once again closely tracking the Russian ship after it returned to British waters. According to [the U.K. defense secretary](), the **Yantar** has, in recent months, been “mapping the U.K.’s critical underwater infrastructure,” at a time when NATO, in general, is increasingly concerned about apparent sabotage to undersea cables. The *Yantar* was sailing in British waters in November last year, during which time U.K. Defense Secretary John Healey said it had been “detected loitering over U.K. critical undersea infrastructure.” ![]() *The *Yantar* transits through the English Channel during an earlier visit to these waters, in 2018. *Crown Copyright* LPhot Dan Rosenbaum* Interestingly, Healey disclosed that a Royal Navy submarine was among the assets tasked with shadowing the *Yantar* when it was in British waters back in November. The defense secretary said that warships and patrol aircraft were also involved in tracking the Russian vessel. At one point, the submarine surfaced close to the *Yantar* “to make clear that we had been covertly monitoring its every move,” he said. The submarine wasn’t named but will have been one of the five currently active [*Astute* class attack submarines](). ![]() *A Royal Navy *Astute* class nuclear-powered attack submarine. *Crown Copyright* www.twz.com* The Russian vessel then moved into Irish waters east of Dublin, sparking worries that it might be conducting espionage on critical energy and internet submarine pipelines and cables running between the United Kingdom and Ireland. The spy ship [was later escorted out of the Irish Sea](). It’s rare for the U.K. government to release any kind of information about the activities of its nuclear-powered submarine fleet, especially regarding such sensitive surveillance missions. In this case, the information was likely made public to dissuade Russia from further espionage directed against critical underwater infrastructure. The tactic may have been effective anyway, with Healey saying that, during its latest venture into British waters, this week, the *Yantar* didn’t remain on station for any longer period and was closely escorted throughout its journey by the [Type 23 frigate]() HMS *Somerset* and the *River* class offshore patrol vessel HMS *Tyne*. ![]() *A library image shows three *River* class patrol vessels, led by HMS *Tyne* (foreground) exercising off the coast of Cornwall, England. *Crown Copyright** *LA(Phot) Al Macleod* According to the Royal Navy, *Somerset* “covertly launched her [Merlin helicopter](), which used its powerful sensors to locate the Russian ship as it made its way north towards the English Channel.” The Type 23 frigate then closed in on the *Yantar*’s location and intercepted it at the entrance to the Channel, off the French coast. “*Somerset* used her cutting-edge radars and sensors to report on every move during the operation, as she maintained a close distance to *Yantar* through the Channel and the Strait of Dover,” the Navy added. ![HMS Somerset (foreground) tracks the movements of a suspected Russian spy ship (Yantar). Royal Navy warships tracked a suspected Russian spy ship as it sailed through waters close to the UK. Yantar, believed to be used by the Russian Navy for intelligence gathering, was shadowed by HMS Somerset and HMS Tyne. Somerset covertly launched her Merlin helicopter, which used its powerful sensors to locate the Russian ship as it made its way north towards the English Channel. The Type 23 frigate closed in on Yantar’s location and intercepted it in the entrance to the Channel – south of the traffic separation scheme at Ushant, near France. The Plymouth-based warship took over monitoring duties from NATO allies after they shadowed Yantar in waters close to France. Somerset used her cutting-edge radars and sensors to report on every move during the operation, as she maintained a close distance to Yantar through the Channel and the Strait of Dover. Patrol ship Tyne was also monitoring the Yantar – last in waters around the UK in November when its activities were monitored by several Royal Navy units.]() *HMS *Somerset* (foreground) tracks the movements of a Russian spy ship *Yantar* this week, in waters close to the United Kingdom. *Crown Copyright* Crown Copyright* Tracking the *Yantar* is not necessarily a difficult job, since its position is typically broadcast at regular intervals using the automatic identification system (AIS), an automatic tracking system that uses transceivers on ships. This data is then also published by online ship tracking services. https://bsky.app/profile/auonsson.bsky.social/post/3lgeaqk6o2s2p U.K. Defense Secretary John Healey told the British parliament yesterday that the *Yantar* entered U.K. waters on Monday and was then monitored by the Royal Navy. ![]() *HMS *Somerset* shadows the Russian spy ship *Yantar* in the English Channel this week. *Crown Copyright* Royal Navy* Healey went on to accuse Russia of threatening European security by targeting undersea infrastructure carrying oil, gas, electricity, and the internet. “We see you. We know what you’re doing,” he told members of parliament. Healey added that the *Yantar* was first picked up on Monday when it was 45 miles off the British coast, inside the U.K.’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ). https://www.twitter.com/RoyalNavy/status/1882091613276840047 “Let me be clear, this is a Russian spy ship,” Healey said. Officially, the *Yantar* is a Project 22010 “oceanographic research vessel,” but it has specialized equipment that can reportedly tap or [cut submarine cables]() and [investigate and retrieve objects]() from depths of up to 18,000 feet. It is part of the Russian Defense Ministry fleet, being operated by the Main Directorate Deep-Sea Research, which works on behalf of the Russian Navy, and other agencies. The *Yantar* was involved in a high-profile operation in 2017 [when it sailed off the coast of Syria]() to recover the wreckage of two fighter jets, [a Su-33](), and [a MiG-29KR](), that crashed into the Mediterranean Sea during operations from Russia’s aircraft carrier [*Admiral Kuznetsov*](). The following year, 2018, the U.K. Royal Navy again escorted the *Yantar* [through the English Channel]() as it headed into the North Sea. At this time, it was carrying a [Saab SeaEye Tiger]() deep-sea robot on its deck. Russia acquired this underwater drone after the [*Kursk* submarine disaster](). It can reach depths of 3,280 feet. On this occasion, the U.K. Royal Navy sent the [Type 45 destroyer]() HMS *Diamond* plus a [Wildcat]() helicopter to follow the Russian ship. ![]() *HMS *Diamond* (foreground) shadows the Russian spy ship as it passes through the English Channel in 2018. *Crown Copyright** More recently, the *Yantar* was [reported]() in the Mediterranean, where it was assumed to be involved in searching and potentially salvaging the wreck of the Russian cargo vessel MV *Ursa Major*, which sank [after an apparent explosion]() in its engine room in late December. https://twitter.com/TiaFarris10/status/1881402311420891443 The scale of the presumed threat to underwater infrastructure posed by Russian and Russian-inspired actors cannot be understated. In the Baltic Sea alone, cables have been damaged on three occasions, with all of them carrying at least some of the hallmarks of sabotage. In the most prominent event, on Dec. 25, an oil tanker dragging its anchor, damaging a power cable running between Finland and Estonia. This led to NATO launching [Baltic Sentry](), a mission intended to ensure the security of critical undersea infrastructure in the region. As you can read about [here](), the mission now also involves Dutch F-35A stealth fighters and it will soon add at least 20 [uncrewed surface vessels]() (USVs) in the coming weeks. This is in addition to surface vessels and maritime patrol aircraft. ![]() *Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) F-35s flying over the Dutch frigate HNLMS *Tromp* during the Baltic Sentry mission earlier this week. *Dutch Ministry of Defense** The vessel responsible for the incident in the Baltic in December was the *Eagle S*, registered in the Cook Islands, but connected with Russia. The oil tanker was also revealed [to be brimming with spy equipment]() after it was seized by authorities. ![]() The suggestion that this incident was connected somehow to the Kremlin was also raised by Healey, who noted that “many analysts believe this was caused by a vessel in Russia’s shadow fleet.” The potential risk to undersea infrastructure has long been understood, especially bearing in mind how hard it can be to defend it against nefarious action — and the degree to which nations rely on it to fulfill many of their critical needs. “We are now seeing Russian underwater activity in the vicinity of undersea cables that I don’t believe we have ever seen,” U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Andrew Lennon, then serving as [NATO’s top submarine officer](), told [*The Washington Post*]() back in December 2017. “Russia is clearly taking an interest in NATO and NATO nations’ undersea infrastructure.” Meanwhile, there is now a wide acknowledgment that the Russian war in Ukraine — and the heightened East-West tensions as a result — are driving up the scale of this risk. With that in mind, spy ships like the *Yantar* are sure to be closely tracked by NATO assets whenever they are found operating in their waters. *Contact the author: thomas@thewarzone.com* ## Author Thomas Newdick is a staff writer at *TWZ*, where he covers military aviation, defense technology, weapons systems, and international security. Based in Berlin, Germany, he reports on conflicts, military modernization efforts, and emerging aerospace technologies around the world, with a particular interest in airpower and its role in contemporary warfare. His reporting is informed by deep expertise in modern and historical airpower, particularly in Europe, with a focus on military aviation, air campaigns, and aerospace developments across the continent and beyond. Over a journalism career spanning more than 25 years, Thomas has become known for making complex defense and aerospace topics accessible to a broad audience. His reporting combines technical expertise, historical context, and a focus on the real-world operational and strategic implications of military developments. ### Author social links [Twitter]()