RAF pilots monitoring a Russian spy ship off British waters were targeted with lasers, says Defence Secretary John Healey.

The Cabinet minister warned Russia that the UK was ready to “respond” with “military options” if the Yantar vessels heads close to the UK.

A Royal Navy submarine was previously ordered to surface to confront the Russian spy ship when it was caught loitering over undersea cables in UK waters.

The vessel, reportedly designed for gathering intelligence and mapping crucial undersea cables, has been spotted off the northern coast of Scotland , having entered wider UK waters over the last few weeks.

Mr Healey told a Downing Street press conference on Wednesday: “We deployed a Royal Navy frigate and RAF P-8 (surveillance) planes to monitor and track this vessel’

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