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Hello, this is David Kornock at Westminster. On Thursday the 20th of November, the Armed Forces

Minister Al-Karns told MPs that the UK would defend every inch of its territorial waters,

after a Russian spy ship directed lasers at RAF pilots.

The Russians say the Yantar is a research vessel.

Most MPs call it a spy ship.

The Armed Forces Minister Al Kahn's believes it's being used to map vital undersea cables.

The UK understands that the Yantar is but one in a fleet of Russian vessels,

designed to threaten our critical national underwater infrastructure, and pose a threat,

indeed, to our economics and our way of life. It's the second time this year the Yantar's

been spotted in or near British waters. This time a Royal Navy

frigate and RAF P-8 planes were involved in tracking the vessel.

A laser assessed to be originating from the port side of the Yantar was directed at British

personnel operating one of our P-8s. This was a highly dangerous and reckless attempt to disrupt

our monitoring.

There were no injuries or damage to the aircraft, but the minister had a message for the Kremlin.

Russia wants to operate in this veil of darkness and sort of in the shadows.

But let's just be really clear to them.

We know exactly what they are doing.

We know everything that they are up to.

A laser pen is not going to deter us.

The Conservative Shadow Defence Secretary, James Cartledge,

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