Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world
Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email
Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email
The Royal Navy intercepted a Russian warship and a tanker off the coast of the United Kingdom.
HMS Severn, a patrol vessel, shadowed the RFN Stoikiy corvette and a tanker vessel in the past fortnight, the Ministry of Defence said on Sunday.
The navy monitored the Russian movements through the Dover Strait and west through the English Channel. The ministry did not say exactly when the interception happened.
HMS Severn later handed over monitoring duties to a NATO ally off the coast of Brittany, but continued to observe from a distance, the MoD said.
The ministry reported a 30 per cent increase in Russian vessels “threatening” UK waters in the past two years.
File – British patrol vessel HMS Severn followed the Russian ships as part of a round-the-clock shadowing operation (AFP via Getty Images)
Commander Grant Dalgleish, HMS Severn’s Commanding Officer, said the operation reinforced the Navy’s close work with Nato allies and highlighted the value of patrol ships.
The announcement came just days after defence secretary John Healey said that a Russian spy ship was spotted on the edge of UK waters, where it pointed lasers at the RAF pilots tracking it. There were no injuries sustained by British pilots and no damage to their planes or equipment.
While tailing spy ship Yantar, a Royal Navy frigate and other civilian ships experienced GPS jamming.
The frigate HMS Somerset’s combat capabilities were not affected, the MoD said. The Yantar is one ship in a fleet of Russian vessels that are part of a Russian ministry of defence deep sea research programme known as GUGI (Main Directorate of Deep-Sea Research).
GUGI has both specialist surface vessels and submarines that are used to survey underwater infrastructure, but also has the capability to damage or destroy that infrastructure.
Mr Healey told a Downing Street press conference on Wednesday that his message to Russian President Vladimir Putin is: “We see you. We know what you’re doing. If the Yantar travels south this week, we are ready.”
The Royal Air Force has since deployed three P-8 Poseidon aircraft to Iceland’s Keflavik Air base to conduct surveillance operations as part of what the MoD called Nato’s collective defence.
The reconnaissance planes will patrol for Russian ships and submarines in the North Atlantic and the Arctic.
Wing Commander Higgins, Officer Commanding 120 Squadron, said: “This deployment to Iceland highlights the enduring importance of the North Atlantic and Arctic to the security of the Alliance.
“Operating the P-8A Poseidon, we continue that legacy by contributing to NATO’s collective defence and ensuring the security of this strategically critical region.”
