A Russian spy ship has been escorted into the Irish Sea away from an area where there are undersea pipelines, as well as power and internet cables, the British daily Guardian reported.
The Guardian reported that the Jantar spy ship was escorted from the Irish Sea after entering waters controlled by Ireland. The unit was in an area of the sea where there are pipelines, as well as power and internet cables at the bottom.
The British newspaper reported that the Irish military was monitoring the activities of the crew of a Russian vessel operating three drones over Irish waters, apparently conducting surveillance. The Russians also allegedly turned off the ship's transponder informing about its location. The crew of an Irish warship sent to the area tried to contact the crew of Jantar, but there was no response.
Russian spy ship Yantar. Illustrative photo mil.ru
Escorting and monitoring
The amberjack was spotted east of Dublin and southwest of the Isle of Man on Thursday. The Norwegian, American, French and British navies had previously spotted him while escorting the Russian war frigate Admiral Golovko as it sailed through the English Channel, The Guardian reported.
Jantar was escorted from the Irish economic zone on Friday morning. Irish air forces continued to monitor his movements as he headed south, The Guardian reported. The newspaper said the presence of the Russian spy ship had raised new concerns about the security of important communications cables running between Ireland and Britain.
Jantar is officially classified as an auxiliary research vessel with underwater rescue capabilities. Formally civilian, however, it is part of the Russian Navy and carries out the tasks of the Russian Ministry of Defense.
Main photo source: mil.ru