Royal Navy attack submarine warned off Russian spy ship from UK waters
Defence Secretary John Healey said Russia "remains the most pressing and immediate threat to Britain", and added that "any threat will be met with strength and resolve".
A Royal Navy attack submarine surfaced close to a Russian spy ship off the UK coast in an extraordinary warning to stop spying on British undersea cables, the defence secretary has revealed.
John Healey, in a highly unusual statement to MPs, said the incident involving HMS Astute happened in November but the research vessel, called Yantar, then returned to UK waters this week.
To counter the first spying mission, which passed through Cornish waters, he said he changed the navy's rules of engagement to enable British warships and the submarine to get closer to the vessel and better track its activities.
In a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Mr Healey said: "We see you. We know what you are doing. And we will not shy away from robust action to protect this country."
