Defence secretary reveals details of recent incursions as he warns UK is facing ‘new era of threat’ from hostile countries
A Russian spy ship has entered British waters and shone lasers at military pilots, the defence secretary has said, as he warned the UK was facing a “new era of threat” from hostile countries.
John Healey told reporters on Wednesday the “deeply dangerous” move was being taken “extremely seriously” by the government, adding the UK would continue monitoring the ship and had “military options ready” should the vessel change course.
He said the surveillance ship had crossed in and out of the UK’s exclusive economic zone multiple times in recent weeks, not for the first time this year.
The ship entered the Brtitish Economic Zone. Which is still international territory.
This is a bit like when someone claims China has entered Taiwanese airspace, while neglecting to report that Taiwan claims airspace over mainland China.
Click-bait journalists love to print headlines that take advantage of their audience’s naive understanding of international law and gullibility when it comes to claims of foreign countries doing sinister things. In fairness to the Brits, anyone familiar with Russian media gets fed a similar deluge of “NATO is going to attack us at any moment!” scare pieces.
Great for ratcheting tension, driving up military recruitment, and galvenizing the public to hate anyone suspected of foreign origin or sympathies. Not particularly useful when informing the public of safety concerns.