A Russian surveillance vessel has been detected near the waters of the United Kingdom, according to British defense officials. The ship in question, known as the Yantar, has reportedly made its presence known in U.K. waters for the second time, as highlighted by U.K. Defense Secretary John Healey.

During a press briefing, Healey described the Yantar as a vessel specifically designed for intelligence gathering and mapping underwater cables. “We have responded by deploying a Royal Navy frigate along with RAF aircraft to closely monitor and track the Yantar’s movements,” Healey explained. He further mentioned that during this operation, the Yantar had reportedly used lasers against British pilots, an action that has raised concerns.

Standing in front of an image of the Russian ship Yantar in the Downing Street briefing room, Healey issued a direct message to Russian President Vladimir Putin. “We see you, we know what you’re doing, and if the Yantar proceeds southward this week, we are prepared,” he stated, underscoring the U.K.’s vigilance and readiness to respond to any maritime threats.

British Defense Secretary John Healey, appearing in front of a screen displaying an image of the Russian military ship Yantar, delivers a speech in the Downing Street briefing room in central London Wednesday.  (Stefan Rousseau/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)

Healey warned Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying, “We see you, we know what you’re doing and if the Yantar travels south this week, we are ready.”

The U.K. plans to build a number of factories to make munitions and military explosives. The first one is expected to break ground next year. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Nov. 18, 2024. (Vyacheslav Prokofyev, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

Healey issued his warning after a report by the Commons Defence Committee, which said the U.K. “lacks a plan for defending the homeland and overseas territories” and urged the government to launch a “coordinated effort to communicate with the public on the level of threat we face,” the news outlet reported. 

The Yantar isn’t just part of a naval operation but part of Moscow’s Main Directorate of Deep-Sea Research, or GUGI, which primarily works in surveillance in peacetime and sabotage during conflicts. 

“That is why we’ve been determined. Whenever the Yantar comes into British wider waters, we track it, we deter it, and we say to Putin, ‘We are ready, and we do that alongside allies,’” said Healey.