Overview
- The MoD published a photo showing a submarine near Yantar and a Merlin Mk2 helicopter tracking the Russian vessel in the Irish Sea.
- Defence sources say Yantar briefly activated its tracking beacon above an exposed section of the gas connector near the Isle of Man.
- The Royal Navy deployed a hunter‑killer submarine that surfaced beside Yantar, with specialist divers later inspecting the pipeline; no damage has been confirmed.
- UK officials report a roughly 30% rise in Russian incursions in two years and warn of expanded GUGI deep‑sea capabilities targeting cables and pipelines.
- London has set up an Undersea Infrastructure Security Oversight Board, advanced the Atlantic Bastion programme, and expanded sanctions, as intelligence points to mapped weak points and reported attempts to recruit locals for sabotage.