A Russian spy ship has entered British waters and directed lasers at military pilots, Britain’s defense secretary said Wednesday, as he warned that the country was facing a “new era of threat” from hostile actors.

During a speech in London, John Healey said the Yantar spy ship was currently on the edge of British waters, north of Scotland, and that the ship was designed for “gathering intelligence and mapping Britain’s undersea cables.”

He said a Royal Air Force (RAF) Poseidon-8 military plane had been deployed to “track this vessel’s every move” and that its pilots said they were targeted by lasers.

“That Russian action is deeply dangerous,” Healey said. “My message to Russia and to (President Vladimir) Putin is this: ‘We see you, we know what you’re doing, and if the Yantar travels south this week, we are ready.’”

Russia’s embassy in London responded angrily to what it called “the latest provocative statements” from Healey and claimed that the Yantar was an “oceanographic research vessel” operating in international waters. In a statement, the embassy denied targeting Britain’s underwater communications or undermining its security.

“London’s Russophobic course and the whipping up of militaristic hysteria are contributing to the further degradation of European security, creating the conditions for new dangerous situations,” the embassy said.

Healey’s extraordinary announcement marked the second time this year that Britain has called out the activities of the Yantar. The government says the ship maps the undersea cables used by Britain and its NATO allies for energy and communications and is part of Russia’s secretive deep-sea research unit known as GUGI. But Healey said this is the first time that Russia has directly aimed lasers at British military aircraft.

“We take it extremely seriously,” he said. “I’ve changed the navy’s rules of engagement so that we can follow more closely, monitor more closely, the activities of the Yantar when it’s in our wider waters.” The defense secretary stressed that Britain has “military options ready, should the Yantar change