UK Defence Secretary John Healey said a Royal Air Force P‑8 crew monitoring the Russian undersea‑intelligence ship Yantar reported being 'dazzled' by lasers directed at their aircraft while tracking the vessel off UK waters. The BBC and the MoD say the incidents occurred within the past two weeks.
Discovered |
Briefing
The MoD and BBC say an RAF P‑8 was "dazzled" while monitoring the Russian survey/espionage ship Yantar, creating an immediate flight‑safety risk for crew conducting maritime ISR within the past two weeks.
The incident adds to a pattern of Russian electronic‑warfare and intelligence activity against UK assets, including repeated targeting and interference with British space and sensing capabilities (see UK Space Command's assessment of near‑weekly attacks: https://hype.aero/?story=f5caa134-1806-412e-b1ff-647b3afaf28b).
It aligns with recent increases in Russian reconnaissance and drone probes that have prompted NATO scrambles and caused operational disruption across European airspace: https://hype.aero/?story=e536b0a4-8e09-4876-bbfd-5175408e3927.
Reported By
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BBC: Russian Spy Ship Yantar Used Lasers Against RAF Aircraft • overtdefense.com
The War Zone
• Thomas Newdick