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 UK authorized the British submarine to surface closely to the Russian vessel to warn it off, British defense secretary Healey said.

The nuclear-powered hunter-killer submarine surfaced close to the Yantar to let the Russian ship know it was being watched.

A British submarine surfaced close to a Russian spy ship loitering over critical UK underwater infrastructure to deter any potential threat, Defence Secretary John Healey told Parliament.He explained to MPs that he had changes the rules of engagement for the Royal Navy so it could get close to the Yantar vessel,

John Healey warned Vladimir Putin ‘we see you, we know what you are doing and we will not shy away from robust action’.

Moscow’s intelligence ship Yantar enters UK waters in ‘another example of growing Russian aggression’, according to the Defence Secretary

A Royal Navy nuclear-powered submarine was deployed to warn off a Russian spy ship operating in the English Channel, the government has revealed. The hunter-killer submarine surfaced close to the Russian vessel The Yantar which was loitering over critical undersea cables.

Britain said it monitored a Russian spy ship in the English Channel in recent days and would strengthen its response to secret operations by Russian ships and aircraft in an effort to protect undersea cables.

Britain on Wednesday warned that it faced a growing threat of aggression from Russia, asserting that a Russian spy ship had passed by the English coast for the second time in three months.

The Royal Navy has been monitoring a Russian spy ship after it was spotted around UK waters earlier this week, the defence secretary has told MPs. John Healey said the vessel, Yantar, was used for gathering intelligence and mapping the UK's critical underwater infrastructure.