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Russian Ship Yantar 2025-11-20
20 November 2025
Lead MP
James Cartlidge
Debate Type
Urgent Question
Tags
Defence
Other Contributors: 17
At a Glance
James Cartlidge raised concerns about russian ship yantar 2025-11-20 in the House of Commons. A government minister responded. Other MPs also contributed.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
Opened the debate
Will the Minister confirm that the Russian spy ship Yantar, which poses a significant threat to our national security and infrastructure, has been continuously monitored by British forces? What measures are being taken to ensure service personnel safety during monitoring operations?
James Cartlidge
Con
South Suffolk
Question
Given the serious nature of this incident, can you outline what mitigations are being taken against the evolving laser threat involved? Also, when will the defence readiness Bill become law?
Minister reply
The UK understands that Russian vessels like Yantar pose a significant threat to our critical national underwater infrastructure. We are taking steps to better track and respond to these threats. As for the defence readiness Bill, it is part of legislative processes scheduled for this Parliament.
Calvin Bailey
Lab
Leyton and Wanstead
Question
In the context of recent Defence Committee reports, can you highlight how our Government’s leadership of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group and treaties with Germany and France are essential in ensuring that we reset our relationships to secure democracy within Europe?
Minister reply
We have strengthened alliances through agreements like the Trinity House deal with Germany and the Lancaster House deal with France. We have also led significant defence deals with various countries, showing a commitment to collective security.
Calum Miller
LD
Bicester and Woodstock
Question
Have the Government identified Russian officials responsible for directing lasers at RAF personnel? What assurances can you give that Russia understands the consequences of such aggression towards UK critical infrastructure?
Minister reply
We will work collectively to gather evidence against any nefarious activity by GUGI vessels. Any threats to our critical national infrastructure will not go unchallenged, and we will hold those responsible accountable.
Julian Lewis
Con
New Forest East
Question
If the Government are trying to map the capabilities of the vessel, can they tell us whether they knew in advance that it had this laser capability, and if they did, whether steps are being taken to find methods of protecting our personnel against such laser attacks? Will the Minister and the Government be careful not to fall for the bully’s playbook of the killer in the Kremlin?
Minister reply
I thank the right hon. Gentleman for his contribution, which was very focused and meaningful, as always. I will not go into detail on the specific capabilities, but from our perspective there has been no impact on the aircraft or the crew, and we have expanded our rules of engagement to ensure that no vessel can operate over sea, over our critical national infrastructure, without being watched and monitored in the closest and most sophisticated way.
Sarah Coombes
Lab
West Bromwich
Question
The first duty of any Government is to keep our citizens safe, which is why this Labour Government are delivering a historic uplift in defence spending. Will he say more about how our increased defence spending will keep us safe and support jobs in the defence industry?
Minister reply
My hon. Friend raises a really important point. Defence spending is not just about defending the nation; it is an engine for growth. The Typhoon deal alone has created over 20,000 jobs, and Members will have seen just recently that we are providing up to 100,000 drones to Ukraine.
Bernard Jenkin
Con
Harwich and North Essex
Question
May I congratulate the Government on being more forward in their public responses to this kind of provocation than any other European member of NATO, but also point out that this underlines what we know from what Putin and Lavrov have been saying? They think they are at war with NATO and with the United Kingdom already.
Minister reply
The hon. Member is right: we must push as hard as we can to impose cost on Russia. To date we have spent £21.8 billion in Ukraine—£4.5 billion in military support—and I know we have support from both sides of the House to do everything we can to increase the pressure.
Torcuil Crichton
Lab
Na h-Eileanan an Iar
Question
The Yantar was intercepted in the north Atlantic, which is the UK’s new frontline but my constituents’ backyard. What assurance can the Minister give my constituents about our preparedness and resilience to meet these kinds of hybrid attacks?
Minister reply
My hon. Friend highlights an important point. We are working closely with our European allies to get access to the Security Action for Europe programme and an EU-UK defence partnership.
Jacob Collier
Lab
Burton and Uttoxeter
Question
There is a possibility that vessels such as the Yantar could be used to launch drone attacks on the UK. Will the Minister reassure us that he is working to bolster the UK’s air defence system?
Minister reply
That is a valid point. For years we have not taken homeland security seriously. The House will note that, in the strategic defence review, we have invested in integrated missile defence.
Tom Tugendhat
Con
Tonbridge
Question
We have both seen Governments of every colour making decisions and statements that sound good on the day before the reality of a lack of kit becomes clear. The world has changed, but we have fewer ships at sea, fewer men in uniform and fewer planes in the air than we have had at any time.
Minister reply
The right hon. and gallant Member raises a valid point. When we came into government, we took the significant step of raising defence spending, but he knows as well as any that it is not just about buying or investing in the same capability; it is about rebuilding and reshaping our armed forces to fight not yesterday’s war but the war of the future.
Chris Webb
Lab
Blackpool South
Question
What discussions has the Minister had with his international partners about maintaining and galvanising that support?
Minister reply
That is a really useful point. Individually, we are strong. Collectively, we are united. It is really important that we double down on our allies and partners to collaborate—whether that is with NATO, the joint expeditionary force or some of our European or international allies.
Ben Obese-Jecty
Con
Huntingdon
Question
Everyone in this House should be concerned by the increase in Russian sub-threshold activity. The use of lasers against an operational P-8 very much pushes the boundaries of what we could consider to be sub-threshold activity.
Peter Prinsley
Lab
Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket
Question
The sight of this sinister ship snooping around our shores strikes alarm. How can we be confident of the security of our vital undersea communication cables and what, without compromising our security, is plan B if they are severed?
Minister reply
As my hon. Friend will know, we work with our allies to build contingency across all our critical national infrastructure. There is lots of work to do, and we are working in collaboration with other Governments to do it. The point he raises, which is one of the most important, is that Russia wants to operate behind a veil of darkness, in the shadows, but let us be really clear: we know exactly what it is doing; we know everything that it is up to. A laser pen is not going to deter us. We will continue, we will double down and, if required, we will expose and attribute.
Charlie Dewhirst
Con
Bridlington and The Wolds
Question
In the light of this recent escalation, what specific and immediate steps is the Minister taking to ensure that UK armed forces are equipped both to protect critical underwater infrastructure and to respond rapidly and effectively to direct threats from Russia and others?
Minister reply
The strategic defence review points to the multi-role ship and our buying into mapping and tracking our infrastructure, protecting it and, importantly, if required, deterring capabilities such as the Yantar, and a suite of capabilities that the Russians can field, to ensure they cannot work with impunity in either the EEZ or international waters.
James Wild
Con
North West Norfolk
Question
In January, the Defence Secretary came to this House to make a statement when the Yantar passed through British waters, but he did not see fit to do so when that ship directed lasers at our pilots, which I think reflects poorly on him. Has the Russian ambassador been summoned over this highly dangerous action, and if not, why not?
Minister reply
I thank the hon. Member for raising that point. It is something I will take up with my colleagues in the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. If there is unruly or escalatory activity, we have to continue to ensure that, diplomatically, individuals are called in and held to account, and we will continue to do so.
Nick Timothy
Con
West Suffolk
Question
We know, as the Minister has said, that Russia and China target undersea cables and interconnectors, which we rely on increasingly because of the Government’s energy policy. We know that the Russians put listening devices on our offshore infrastructure to monitor our submarines, and we know that China, which dominates the world market for cellular internet modules, inserts kill switches into the turbines that this Government want to buy from them. I have been asking the same question for a year now: why is there not a single Minister in charge of the security of our offshore energy infrastructure? What representations have Ministry of Defence Ministers made to the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, who is causing so many of these problems?
Minister reply
I would not say that there has been a lack of accountability, but the hon. Gentleman is right to mention that until now there has been a lack of centralisation around our critical national infrastructure. A recent report was issued and we now have clear lines of accountability. Defence is a part of that and we are building our capability, with the view eventually of fulfilling our role with that structure. We are working collaboratively across Government to ensure that our critical national infrastructure is protected, so that should there be an incident, there is accountability.
Jim Shannon
DUP
Strangford
Question
I thank the Minister for his strong words and his answers, which encourage both hon. Members and those who are listening. Let us be clear and succinct: Russian ships have twice entered British sovereign waters, and to add to that aggression, they have been tracking our RAF pilots with lasers. Our enemy has breached our waters disgracefully, disregarded neutrality and shown disrespect. The facts and the evidence are there. To quote Winston Churchill, who I loved when I was a boy and who was certainly my hero: “We shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be”. Will the Minister confirm that this is a form of attack, and that the might of our armed forces is poised, their equipment is trained and they are ready to go?
Minister reply
I thank the hon. Gentleman for his insightful question. Be in no doubt: we will defend every inch of this country and our territorial waters. If anything is taking place in our EEZ, in particular, we will expose, we will attribute and, be in absolutely no doubt, we will hold people, organisations or countries accountable should there be any impact on or disruption to our critical national infrastructure.
Government Response
I would like to make some comments on the Russian main directorate of deep-sea research programme, known as GUGI. The Russian research vessel Yantar is part of this programme and used for gathering intelligence and mapping undersea infrastructure in various nations. Russia has been developing a military capability to use against critical underwater infrastructure, which includes surveying underwater infrastructure during peacetime but destroying it during conflict. During the recent operation, British personnel were targeted with lasers by the Yantar, but no injuries or damage occurred. The Royal Navy and RAF continue to monitor the vessel's activities. We will ensure that the Yantar is not able to conduct its mission unchallenged or untracked, working with allies to deter any attempts at disruption.
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