LONDON (dpa-AFX) - A Russian spy ship used for gathering intelligence and mapping undersea cables on the edge of UK waters directed light lasers at British pilots who were monitoring and tracking the vessel's move, UK Defence Secretary John Healey told the Parliament.
The spy ship, named the Yantar, was threatening UK waters, north of Scotland, between November 5 and 11.
'We deployed a Royal Navy frigate, and RAF P-8 planes to monitor and track the vessel's every move, during which the Yantar directed light lasers at our pilots,' Healey told the lawmakers.
Healey said it is the second time this year that the Yantar has deployed to UK waters, and termed the Russian action as 'deeply dangerous'.
'My message to Russia and to Putin, is this: We see you. We know what you are doing. And if Yantar travels South this week, we are ready'.
At a news cnference, the Defense Secretary told reporters, 'We have military options ready should the Yantar change course. I am not going to reveal those because that only makes President Putin wiser.'
Healy set out a number of actions to counter what he decsribed as 'a new era of threat.'
Healy announced a new program to build 'factories of the future' - 13 potential sites to manufacture munitions and explosives, with construction and diggers in the ground set to start next year. He announced 1.5 billion worth of new investment 'to rearm Britain, to renew our industry, to raise our warfighting readiness of our Armed Forces'.
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