Defence Secretary hardens rules of engagement as laser attacks raise fears for undersea cables
British ministers have accused a Russian spy ship of directing lasers at RAF pilots monitoring it off the north coast of Scotland, in what defence sources describe as one of the most provocative Russian naval moves near UK waters in recent years.
The vessel, Yantar – a 108-metre “research” ship widely assessed as an intelligence and seabed-operations platform – is currently operating on the edge of UK territorial waters in the North Sea and is being shadowed by a Royal Navy frigate and RAF maritime patrol aircraft.
Lasers aimed at RAF Poseidon aircraft
Defence Secretary John Healey told reporters that Yantar had used laser systems against UK surveillance aircraft as they flew over the ship to track its activities, with crews reporting being hit by intense light as they worked. The aircraft involved are understood to be P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol jets operating from RAF Lossiemouth in Moray, which routinely monitor foreign naval movements around the UK.
According to naval analysts, the lasers appear to have been sophisticated dazzler-type systems designed to interfere with sensors and risk temporary or permanent eye injury, rather than full-power “weaponised” energy beams. Even so, their deliberate use against aircrew on a lawful surveillance mission is being treated by London as a hostile act.
A laser can blind a pilot in an instant, and signals an act of intimidation.
Rules of engagement quietly tightened
Healey confirmed he has amended the rules of engagement (ROE) governing how British forces respond to hostile actions at sea after the laser incidents. The changes are designed to give Royal Navy ships and RAF aircraft more freedom to manoeuvre closer to suspect vessels, and to respond more robustly if personnel are threatened.
In a pointed message to Moscow, the Defence Secretary said the UK is tracking Yantar “whenever it enters British wider waters” and warned that if the ship attempts to move further south towards more densely packed undersea infrastructure, “we are ready” – a phrase repeated in several briefings today.
The Ministry of Defence has not disclosed the exact nature of the ROE changes but officials stress that British forces remain under strict instructions to avoid escalation while ensuring the safety of crews.
A ship built to stalk the seabed
Although Russia describes Yantar as an “oceanographic research vessel”, Western militaries have long classed it as a spy ship. Built as Project 22010 and operated by GUGI – the Main Directorate of Deep-Sea Research, a shadowy arm of the Russian navy – the ship carries deep-diving submersibles and remotely operated vehicles capable of working thousands of metres down on the seabed.
These systems are tailor-made for mapping and, in wartime, potentially sabotaging critical undersea infrastructure: fibre-optic data cables, power interconnectors and offshore energy pipelines. Concerns over such threats have grown sharply since the Nord Stream pipeline explosions and a series of unexplained cable faults in the Baltic and North Sea.
Healey previously told MPs that Yantar is explicitly used “for gathering intelligence and mapping the UK’s critical underwater infrastructure”, underlining that the UK no longer accepts Moscow’s “research” label at face value.
Repeat visitor to UK waters
This is not the first time Yantar has probed close to Britain’s undersea lifelines.
In November 2024, the ship was tracked loitering over critical infrastructure in the Irish Sea, briefly switching on its AIS transponder before going “dark” again. A Royal Navy frigate and a P-8 patrol aircraft were tasked to shadow it.
In late 2024 and early 2025, the Royal Navy escalated its posture, with a nuclear-powered attack submarine surfacing close to Yantar off the UK coast in what officials later described as an “extraordinary warning” to back away from British undersea cables.
In January 2025, the government publicly confirmed that Yantar had been shadowed through the English Channel, and announced new investments in seabed surveillance and AI-assisted monitoring to better protect cables across the North Atlantic and Baltic.
After those confrontations, the vessel eventually moved on to the Mediterranean – only to reappear this month on the edge of Scottish waters.
RAF and Royal Navy on round-the-clock watch
Current tracking data suggests Yantar has been moving slowly in international waters north of Scotland, at times near key choke points for cables running between the UK, Norway and North America. A Type 23 frigate, believed to be HMS Somerset, has been deployed on towed-array patrol duties in the area, with analysts suggesting a Royal Navy submarine may also be involved covertly.
From RAF Lossiemouth, P-8 Poseidon aircraft have been flying regular sorties to watch the ship from above, using radar, electronic surveillance and optical sensors. It was on these missions that crews reported being targeted by green lasers emitted from the Russian vessel.
So far there have been no confirmed serious injuries, but aircrew underwent medical checks and the RAF has updated guidance on cockpit procedures when encountering laser illumination at altitude.
Risk of miscalculation
Military lawyers say that intentionally dazzling pilots can, in some circumstances, be interpreted as a use of force under international law, especially if it endangers life. That puts additional pressure on commanders to judge when harassment crosses the line into an “attack” that might justify a proportionate response.
Security experts warn that this kind of brinkmanship raises the risk of miscalculation.
If a pilot were temporarily blinded during a low-level pass and an aircraft was lost, the incident could rapidly escalate into a major crisis between NATO and Russia. For now, British forces are continuing to shadow Yantar at what officials describe as a “safe but assertive” distance.
Wider backdrop: a “new era of hard power”
The laser incident comes as ministers repeatedly argue that the UK has entered a “new era of hard power”, citing Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, rising tensions in the Baltic and North Atlantic, and a spike in cyberattacks on Western infrastructure.
Healey has used the Yantar case to justify further investment in undersea defence – including more patrol aircraft, better seabed sensors and closer collaboration with NATO allies such as Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands, which share the same vulnerable network of cables and pipelines.
For communities along Scotland’s north and east coasts, the episode is another reminder that the frontline of modern confrontation is often invisible: lasers in the night skies over the Moray Firth, and a quiet, slow-moving ship on the horizon, listening to the seabed.
