Description: UK’s Defense Secretary, John Healey, announced that the navy’s rules of engagement have been changed as several restrictions to follow, monitor and even engage potential threats off the coast of the United Kingdom have been lifted. The announcement arrived after an incident which involved the infamous Russian ship used for underwater seabed sabotage activities and intelligence gathering, the Yantar. Members of the UK’s RAF (Royal Airforce) piloting a P – 8A Poseidon MRA1 patrol aircraft were monitoring the Yantar when the vessel started using lasers on the aircraft and its crew, prompting a more aggressive response by the pilots. Type 23 frigate was also sent to directly follow the Yantar which appeared in the waters of northern Scotland. The Yantar is part of the Russian Defense Ministry fleet within the Main Directorate of Deep-Sea Research, which is a secretive branch of the Russian navy. The vessel serves as a mothership for uncrewed underwater vessels (UUVs) which can be used as undetectable mini vessels for conducting sabotage attacks on deep underwater sea cables. Healey stated that UK’s naval and air forces were ready to engage any threats off the coast of the Kingdom, not excluding military force as well.
Impact: Russia is continuing to challenge and probe the defenses of European and NATO countries ramping up pressure through the continent on several fronts. The Yantar has been used in numerous other occasions as an intelligence gathering vessel and is suspected of conducting the sabotage attacks on the underwater sea cables at the beginning of this year, prompting NATO to announce the Baltic Sentry operation. The UK forces demonstrated high level of preparedness and expedient engagement in expelling the Yantar from threatening vicinity in the seas of northern Scotland, however, the incident with the lasers exhibits high level of provocations, potentially forcing the navy or the air force to engage militarily. The UK along with other NATO members are expected to ramp up their defense posture, especially in waters which are easily accessible to Russian vessels and ships pertaining to the shadow fleet. In absence of a more serious response, Russia would continue to poke holes in NATO’s defenses which enables it to gather critical intelligence regarding the levels of preparedness, capabilities, response time and defensive means of NATO allies.