UK steps up CUI protection as Russian spy ship enters UK waters

HMS Somerset flanks Yantar near UK waters during 21–22 January. (UK MoD/Crown Copyright)

The UK Royal Navy (RN) has been stepping up its efforts to track and deter Russian surveillance activities as the Russian survey and research vessel Yantar passed through UK waters for a second time in recent months.

Addressing the House of Commons during a parliamentary session on 22 January, UK Secretary of State for Defence John Healey said he had changed the RN's rules of engagement so that warships could get closer to and better track Yantar, which is believed to be used by the Russian Navy for intelligence gathering, after it entered the UK Exclusive Economic Zone about 45 n miles off the British coast on 21 January.

The RN's Type 23 frigate HMS Somerset and the River-class offshore patrol vessel HMS Tyne shadowed Yantar “every minute” as it passed eastward through the English Channel and into the North Sea on 21 and 22 January, he said.

While the ship had so far complied with international rules of navigation, Healey said the incident comes just weeks after it was caught loitering over critical undersea infrastructure (CUI) in UK waters in November 2024.

“To deter any potential threat, I took measured steps at that time as part of a clear, direct response to the Russian vessel,” he said. “Royal Air Force maritime patrol aircraft, alongside HMS Cattistock , HMS Tyne, and Royal Fleet Auxiliary Proteus , were deployed to shadow Yantar's every movement. Today, I also confirm to the House that I authorised a Royal Navy submarine to surface close to Yantar