Britain warned Russia today that it was ready to respond to any incursion into its territory, after the spy ship Yantar was spotted on the edge of British territorial waters, north of Scotland.
British Defense Secretary John Healy said today that the Russian ship pointed lasers at pilots in surveillance aircraft that were monitoring its activities.
"My message to Russia and (Vladimir) Putin is: 'We see you. We know what you're doing. And if the Amber goes south this Sunday, we're ready,'" Healy said in London.
Healy advocated for increased defense spending, a week before the government is due to release a new budget proposal.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has promised to increase military spending due to threats from Russia, China and Iran, but the government faces difficult decisions as it tries to make up for a multi-billion pound deficit by raising taxes and cutting spending.
Healy, who visited a drone factory today, announced plans to build at least six new munitions factories in places from Scotland to Wales. The government pledged £1,5 billion in June to build the factories, which it says will create at least 1.000 jobs, boost economic growth and ensure the military has a steady supply of explosives and pyrotechnics.
British officials say the Yantar is part of a Russian warship designed to conduct surveillance in peacetime and sabotage during wartime. That's why Britain and its allies are tracking the ship and working to disrupt its operations whenever it approaches British territorial waters.
"It is part of a Russian fleet designed to put and keep our underwater infrastructure, and the infrastructure of our allies, at risk," Healy said, referring to attacks on gas pipelines and cables on the bottom of the Baltic Sea earlier this year.
Healy said this was not the first time the Amber ship had checked British defenses.
After the warning last year, the Yantar left British waters and headed for the Mediterranean. When the Russian ship later sailed through the English Channel in January, it was escorted by the frigate HMS Somerset, which is responsible for homeland defense in the waters around Britain.
Healy described the activities of Amber in a speech in which he said that the UK must adapt to "a new era of hard power".
He cited conflicts in the Middle East, unrest between India and Pakistan, and Chinese spies targeting democratic institutions in the UK, as well as the ongoing war in Ukraine.
Britain pledged in June to increase military spending to five percent of GDP by 2035, in line with most other NATO countries. That pledge includes 3,5 percent of GDP for military spending alone, and another 1,5 percent of GDP for infrastructure projects designed to support the country's defense. Britain spent about 2,3 percent of GDP on defense last year.
"This is a new era of threats. It requires a new era for defence, an era of hard power, strong allies and confident diplomacy. And as the threat grows, Britain must adapt and it is doing so," the minister said.
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