In a dramatic display of escalating tensions beneath the waves, British defense officials have confirmed that a Russian submarine operated in tandem with the notorious spy ship Yantar to map critical undersea infrastructure near the UK in November 2024. The revelation, supported by a newly declassified photo released by the Ministry of Defence (MoD), underscores growing concerns about the vulnerability of vital gas pipelines and communication cables that connect Britain and Ireland—assets considered lifelines for the UK and its allies.
The image, made public on December 28, 2025, shows a Royal Navy submarine and an anti-submarine Merlin Mk2 helicopter tracking the Yantar in the Irish Sea. According to The Sunday Times and The Independent, the Yantar, officially described by Russia as a research vessel, has repeatedly approached UK waters in recent years, shadowed by British forces determined to send a clear message: the UK is watching.
"We see you. We know what you are doing. And we will not shy away from robust action to protect this country," a Ministry of Defence spokesperson declared, echoing the words of Defence Secretary John Healey. The spokesperson emphasized that British intelligence is "acutely aware of the threat posed by Russia, which includes attempts to map undersea cables, networks, and pipelines belonging to both the UK and our allies, and we are tackling these threats head on."
The November 2024 incident was not an isolated event. Sources told The Sunday Times that it was one of several operations in which Russian submarines have accompanied the Yantar into waters uncomfortably close to the British Isles. The Ministry of Defence’s photo, showing a British submarine surfacing near the Russian ship, was intended as a deterrent. Defence Secretary Healey explained to Members of Parliament that the Royal Navy submarine was ordered to surface "strictly as a deterrent measure—to make clear that we had been covertly monitoring its every move." The tactic worked: "The ship then left UK waters—without further loitering—and sailed down to the Mediterranean," Healey said.
But the Yantar’s mission was no mere curiosity cruise. According to Healey, the vessel had shone lasers at RAF pilots and was specifically designed for intelligence gathering and mapping undersea cables. During the November standoff, RAF maritime patrol aircraft, HMS Cattistock, HMS Tyne, and RFA Proteus were also deployed to shadow the Yantar’s every movement, demonstrating the seriousness with which the UK views potential threats to its critical infrastructure.
General Sir Gwyn Jenkins, the First Sea Lord, sounded the alarm earlier this month about the scale of the Russian presence. He reported a "30 per cent increase in Russian incursion in our waters" over the past two years. Jenkins warned that while spy ships like the Yantar are the most visible sign of this activity, "It’s what’s going on under the waves that most concerns me." He noted that Russia is renewing its investment in its elite deep-sea submarine division, known as GUGI—a move that the UK government has met with stern opposition. In June 2025, the UK sanctioned GUGI, the Russian military agency responsible for developing underwater intelligence-gathering operations.
These developments have not gone unnoticed by the British government. In what officials are calling the largest sustained increase in defense spending since the Cold War, the UK is planning to raise defense expenditure to 2.5 percent of GDP from April 2027, with an ambition to reach 3 percent in the next parliament, "as economic and fiscal conditions allow." The government has also introduced more than 900 new sanctions against Russian individuals, entities, and ships, and is accelerating the development and deployment of advanced anti-submarine technology.
Central to the UK’s response is the Atlantic Bastion programme, a comprehensive initiative designed to safeguard the North Atlantic’s critical undersea infrastructure. The programme integrates autonomous vessels, AI-enabled sensors, warships, and aircraft, creating what the MoD calls "new hybrid navies" capable of countering the evolving threat posed by Russia’s submarine force. As a Ministry spokesperson summed it up, "Through the groundbreaking Atlantic Bastion programme, we are leading the transformation to new hybrid navies—integrating autonomous vessels, AI-enabled sensors, warships, and aircraft to safeguard critical undersea infrastructure against evolving challenges."
Defence Secretary Healey has repeatedly described the Yantar as a "reminder of the rising Russian threat." In a press conference last November, he stated, "We saw the Yantar in our wider waters earlier this year. It has returned. We know exactly what it's designed to do. We know exactly what it has been doing. And, that's why I issued that message publicly. We have options, we tracked it closely before, and we've acted before." He added, "If you look at what we did before, it was a powerful and unprecedented demonstration that we were watching it without them knowing. We surfaced that nuclear-powered attack submarine close to the Yantar last time."
Not surprisingly, the Russian embassy in London has responded with sharp criticism, accusing the UK government of "Russophobia" and "whipping up militaristic hysteria." Moscow insists that the Yantar is a legitimate research vessel and has dismissed British concerns as unfounded. However, British officials remain unconvinced, pointing to the vessel’s history of intelligence-gathering and its repeated proximity to sensitive undersea infrastructure.
For the UK, the stakes could hardly be higher. Undersea cables and pipelines provide the backbone for everything from energy supply to internet connectivity. Any disruption—whether by accident or sabotage—could have far-reaching consequences for the economy, security, and daily life. The government’s robust response, from increased defense spending to the deployment of advanced technology and sanctions, reflects a determination not to be caught off guard.
As tensions simmer beneath the surface, the Atlantic Bastion programme stands as the UK’s answer to a new era of underwater rivalry. The message from London is clear: Britain is watching, ready, and unwilling to yield when it comes to defending its lifelines beneath the waves.
