A Russian spy ship was tracked passing through British waters this week amid growing concern over the secureness of undersea communication cables.

The United Kingdom’s secretary of state for defence, John Healey, said on Wednesday that the ship, Yantar, was being “used for gathering intelligence and mapping the UK’s critical underwater infrastructure”.

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“I also wanted President [Vladimir] Putin to hear this message: ‘We see you, we know what you’re doing and we will not shy away from robust action to protect this country’,” he told the UK Parliament.

Here’s everything we know about the latest incident:

What happened?

According to Healey, the ship entered British waters on Monday, about 45 miles (72.5km) near the coast, and the Royal Navy dispatched two vessels to monitor the spy vessel.

“For the last two days, the Royal Navy has deployed HMS Somerset and HMS Tyne to monitor the vessel every minute through our waters. And I changed the Royal Navy’s Rules of Engagement so that our warships can get closer and better track the Yantar,” Healey told MPs.

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“So far, the ship has complied with international rules of navigation,” he said, adding that the vessel was now in the North Sea.

Healey did not elaborate on how the Royal Navy’s Rules of Engagement had changed during this incident.

So far, Russia has not responded to the spying allegations.

Has the ship been detected before?

Yes, in November.

Healey explained that the ship was “loitering over UK critical undersea infrastructure” before it sailed into the Mediterranean.

Due to the ship’s activities, Healey said a Royal Navy submarine was allowed to surface close to the vessel to “make clear that we had been covertly monitoring its every move”.

An unnamed French official told the AFP news agency that French military sources had been mobilised to monitor the Yantar, but the vessel had “no proven hostile intent”.

“It happens regularly that a Russian vessel passes through and there is always close surveillance that is put in place,” the official added.

What is the effect on undersea cables?

The incident happened as several undersea telecom and power cables have been suspected to have been sabotaged since Russia’s war on Ukraine began in 2022.

On Christmas Day, the Estlink 2 powerline and four cables, which carry electricity from Finland to Estonia, were disconnected.

In early January, Finland seized the Eagle S tanker, carrying Russian oil, which it suspected of damaging the powerline by dragging its anchor across the seabed.

However, Russia has rejected all allegations that it tampered with undersea cables.

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Last week, Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the NATO military alliance was using “myths” to increase its presence in the Baltic Sea.

“The real purpose of all this is to limit Russian oil exports by any means necessary … and to create the preconditions for the introduction of arbitrary restrictions on international shipping in the Baltic Sea,” she told a news briefing.

Zakharova’s response also came amid German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announcing that NATO members were considering sanctioning Russia’s shadow fleet in the area to protect undersea cables.

Russia’s ally China is also facing allegations of sabotage, with Taiwan announcing last week that it is increasing surveillance after a Chinese-linked cargo vessel was suspected of damaging an undersea communications cable.

Also, in December, Sweden asked China to cooperate with an investigation into two telecommunication cables being severed in Swedish waters after suspicions were directed at the Yi Peng 3 freighter vessel.

What happens next?

“Russia remains the most pressing and immediate threat to Britain,” Healey told Parliament as he laid out the government’s plans to defend itself from Russian interference.

The minister said the UK was working with NATO and the Joint Expeditionary Force, a security coalition of 10 European countries, to track “potential threats to undersea infrastructure”.

He added that the UK would provide 4.5 billion pounds ($5.5bn) in military aid to Ukraine to support its war against Russia.

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At the same time, it sanctioned “over 100 ships in the Russian Shadow Fleet, more than any other nation”.

“Russian aggression will not be tolerated, at home or in Ukraine,” Healey said.

The British minister’s comments come after Prime Minister Keir Starmer signed a 100-year agreement with Ukraine last week, pledging to provide aid across military, technology and healthcare amid the war.