Russian spy ship fires lasers at UK pilots as Europe speeds up tank mobilisation

Europe was on high alert on Wednesday after several security incidents disrupted the continent, including a spy ship that fired lasers at British military aircraft and the sabotage of a Polish rail line used to send military aid to Ukraine.

Poland will post 10,000 soldiers to help protect critical infrastructure such as railways, Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said after the railway explosion, which Warsaw blames on Moscow. The coming Christmas period could be perceived by Poland's enemies as a good time for sabotage, Polish Army Chief of Staff Wiesław Kukula said.

These so-called hybrid attacks are likely to be discussed at a meeting on Thursday between the EU's 27 foreign ministers, a senior EU diplomat said.

Meanwhile, the EU on Wednesday took aim at the red tape and bottlenecks hampering the movement of tanks and troops across the continent as fears grow that conflict could one day erupt with Russia.

Polish authorities blamed two Ukrainians who have fled to Belarus in connection with an explosion on a train track between Warsaw and Lublin on Sunday.

Russia has brushed off accusations that it was behind the attack, but suspicions remain high.

“The problem with hybrid [attacks] is always, it's not always easy to attribute this to somebody, but I mean, if it walks like a duck, talks like a duck, it probably is a duck,” the diplomat said. “There's a growing awareness within the EU council that this is a very serious issue that we need to deal with.”

In parallel, Britain's defence secretary John Healey threatened “military options” against the Yantar spy ship, saying that if it diverted course near sensitive UK undersea cable sites, a Royal Navy submarine would be on hand to take action.

“I've changed the Navy's rules of engagement so that we can monitor more closely the activities of the Yantar when it's in our wider waters,” he said in a Downing Street briefing. “We have military options ready should the Yantar change course.”

The strong UK response was taken after crew on board the ship, which has been travelling through UK waters, fired lasers into the eyes of RAF pilots flying a P8 Poseidon maritime reconnaissance plane overhead.

A British warship monitoring the Yantar off Scoltand.