Royal Navy expresses concerns over Russian superyachts

(MENAFN) The Royal Navy is reportedly concerned that luxury superyachts owned by wealthy Russians may have been used to spy on British nuclear submarines, according to a report in the Sunday Times, citing three defense sources. The navy has gathered "credible intelligence" suggesting that these yachts could have been conducting underwater reconnaissance around the UK prior to Russia’s military operation in Ukraine in 2022.

Some of these superyachts are believed to have moon pools, which could secretly launch and retrieve deep-sea reconnaissance and diving equipment. The Sunday Times also referenced an incident from 2018, when the amphibious assault ship HMS Albion had to depart Limassol port in Cyprus early after a large superyacht owned by a Russian oligarch anchored nearby.

The Royal Navy has discovered several sensors in the UK’s surrounding seas, which it suspects are of Russian origin. The navy believes these activities may be part of Moscow's efforts to monitor Britain’s four nuclear-capable Vanguard submarines. This follows a pattern of increasing suspicion, such as a recent incident where the Royal Navy spent several days tracking sounds thought to be from a Russian stealth submarine, which were later identified as coming from a whale. The navy’s concerns mirror a similar incident in 2014, when Sweden launched a major search for a suspected Russian submarine that turned out to be a civilian vessel.

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