Shopping cart
Your cart empty!
Russia accuses British government of being 'provocative' after spy ship nears UK
Russia has accused the British government of "provocative statements" and an "escalation of militaristic hysteria" after the defence secretary warned a Kremlin spy ship was nearing the UK.
At a news conference in Downing Street on Wednesday, John Healey said the Yantar was on the edge of UK waters north of Scotland, having entered the UK's wider waters over the last few weeks. He said it was the second time this year the ship had been deployed off the UK coast and he claimed it was "designed for gathering intelligence and mapping our undersea cables".
Politics latest: 'Budget leaks are not acceptable,' says Reeves Mr Healey said the ship had "directed lasers" at pilots of surveillance aircraft monitoring its activities - a Russian action he called "deeply dangerous". The defence secretary explained: "We deployed a Royal Navy frigate and RAF planes to monitor and track this vessel's every move, during which the Yantar directed lasers at our pilots." He said his message to Moscow and President Vladimir Putin was "we see you, we know what you're doing, and if the Yantar travels south this week, we are ready".
Mr Healey later stated the UK government has "military options ready" if the ship sails closer to British shores. Russia's response Responding to Mr Healey's comments, the Russian embassy to the UK said on social media it noted his "latest provocative statements" and insisted the ship was an "oceanographic research vessel...
in international waters". The embassy said the British accusations "raise a smile" and Russia's actions were "not aimed at undermining" the UK's security.
It hit out at the UK government's "Russophobic course and the escalation of militaristic hysteria.
Amir Nisi
Creative and experienced content writer with 6+ years of experience lazy to create unique content strategy for News5 to turn website visitors into customers.
Related to this topic:
AI and Marketing: Unlocking Customer Insights
Feb 22, 2024
