Earlier this week, the Royal Netherlands Navy deployed its units to conduct a surveillance mission on the Russian Navy’s research vessel Yantar while it was transiting the waters of the North Sea. The monitoring was carried out by the hydrographic vessel HNLMS Snellius and the patrol ship HNLMS Friesland, extending until Tuesday afternoon, at which point the aforementioned Russian vessel left the area without incident.
For the Dutch Ministry of Defense, the occasion represented yet another example of a situation they have long suspected and publicly warned about — namely, that Russia is increasing its naval presence in the region with research ships that may be mapping critical infrastructure lying beneath the sea. In the specific case of the Yantar, the Dutch Military Intelligence and Security Service (MIVD) had previously reported that the vessel had sailed within its area of responsibility, identifying it as one of the assets Moscow may be using for the aforementioned purpose.
It should be recalled that the Yantar is one of the vessels of the Russian Navy’s Project 22010 class, operated by the Main Directorate of Deep-Sea Research (GUGI). It serves as one of Russia’s principal ships dedicated to scientific research — and, according to Western interpretations, intelligence gathering. Among its many noteworthy characteristics is its ability to deploy up to two types of autonomous deep-sea submersibles, specifically the Rus-class and Konsul-class.
Furthermore, it is important to note that the 108.1-meter-long, 17.2-meter-wide ship is based in Olenya Bay, which not only hosts the GUGI base but also houses both conventional and nuclear submarines of the Russian Navy. When considered together with its capabilities, it comes as no surprise that NATO countries remain consistently alert to its movements through nearby waters.
Following this logic, it is worth mentioning that the deployment of HNLMS Snellius was not coincidental, as it is a hydrographic vessel capable of mapping “changes in the seabed along the busiest maritime routes,” according to the Royal Netherlands Navy itself. After the Yantar’s transit, the vessel is now tasked with conducting surveys of key infrastructure near the area where the Russian ship passed, searching for potential signs of sabotage. As such, the Snellius already has an extensive record of similar missions, having operated in the Baltic Sea, the North Sea, and the Caribbean.
Image credits: Ministry of Defense of the Netherlands
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