The British navy said Wednesday that is ramping up measures to protect its waters from secret Russian operations after identifying a Russian spy vessel in UK waters for the second time in weeks.

Britain on Wednesday warned that it faced a growing threat of aggression from Russia, asserting that a Russian spy ship had passed by the English coast for the second time in three months.

A Russian spy ship entered British waters twice in recent weeks, prompting the UK to deploy Royal Navy ships, Royal Air Force planes and a submarine, Defence Secretary John Healey said.