The Kremlin declined to comment on Thursday about a reported sighting of a Russian spy ship in British waters, amid suspicions from Western nations that Moscow aims to sabotage Western underwater infrastructure.
"I have no information… so I refrain from commenting," said Dmitry Peskov, the Russian presidential spokesperson, to the press.
The Russian military vessel Yantar entered British waters on Monday and was spotted in the English Channel, the UK Ministry of Defence revealed. "We see you Putin," commented the UK Defence Minister John Healy.
Healey also warned President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday that London would not hesitate to take "strong measures to protect the United Kingdom."
The Russian ship, now in the North Sea, is "used to gather intelligence and map the UK’s critical underwater infrastructure," Healey stated to Parliament on Wednesday.
The Yantar was also detected a few weeks ago over submarine cables in British waters, according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
Several underwater telecommunications and power cables have been damaged in the Baltic Sea in recent months, with European leaders and experts suspecting Russian sabotage.
NATO will deploy ships, aircraft, and drones in the Baltic Sea in response to these cable damages, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte announced last week.
