Dutch Escort Russian Spy Ship Yantar Further Out into the North Sea
The Russian research vessel Yantar was spotted earlier this week operating near the Netherlands, and the Dutch Ministry of Defense reports it escorted the ship further out to sea. Widely believed to be a spy ship for the Russian Navy, the vessel has been frequently spotted operating in the waters around Northern Europe and the UK.
The vessel, which was commissioned in 2015, was identified by the Dutch operating in its area in the North Sea. The vessel remained outside Dutch territorial waters, but nonetheless drew the attention of the Royal Netherlands Navy.
The Navy reports it deployed its offshore patrol vessel HNLMS Friesland (3,750 tons displacement) to monitor and track the Russian vessel. While being escorted, the Yantar left the North Sea, moving away from the Netherlands.
After the vessel had departed, the Royal Netherlands Navy reports it also dispatched the HNLMS Snellius, a hydrographic survey vessel, to the area where Yantar was observed. A vessel normally used to map changes in the seabed in the major shipping lanes, Snellius is checking on the condition of the marine infrastructure in the area after the Russian vessel moved away.
The Ministry of Defense cites previous warnings from the Dutch Defense Intelligence and Security Service (MIVD), which has raised concerns over the operation of the Russian survey ships. MVID has said the vessels could be mapping the Dutch maritime infrastructure or other critical assets in the North Sea.
HMS Somerset tracking Yantar in the English Channel in January 2025 (Royal Navy)
Yantar is a 5,700-ton displacement vessel, which the Russians call a subsurface research vessel, but it is widely believed by the West to be a spy ship. It is 108 meters (354 feet) in length and thought to have a complement of 60 onboard. It has a helipad and deploys two autonomous underwater vehicles.
The vessel has raised suspicions in the past for its operations around the UK. The UK Ministry of Defence in January 2025 accused the vessel of “loitering over critical undersea infrastructure in UK waters.” The Royal Navy said it had “tracked a suspected spy ship” that is thought to conduct intelligence gathering for the Russian Navy.
The Royal Navy reported that it deployed HMS Somerset and HMS Tyne when they determined the Yantar was in UK waters in January. It reported that Somerset covertly launched its Merlin helicopter and used the sensors to locate the Russian ship as it made its way north towards the English Channel. Somerset tracked the Russian ship.
Two months earlier, in November 2024, the Yantar was also spotted operating in UK waters. That time, a Royal Navy submarine surfaced close to the Yantar to let it know that it was being tracked. HMS Tyne also deployed to track the movements of the Russian vessel. Yantar moved south and was believed to have proceeded to the Mediterranean.