The Royal Navy deployed warships and aircraft to shadow Russian vessels in the English Channel over a two-day operation carried out in coordination with NATO allies.

Portsmouth-based patrol ships HMS Mersey and HMS Severn, along with a Wildcat helicopter from 815 Naval Air Squadron, monitored the Russian corvette Boikiy and the oil tanker MT General Skobelev as they sailed towards the North Sea.

HMS Mersey first intercepted the vessels as they entered the Channel, taking over from NATO allies who had tracked them through the Bay of Biscay.

Near the Isle of Wight, the two ships and the helicopter continued to monitor the Russian vessels using advanced sensors.

HMS Severn kept watch as the ships moved into the North Sea before handing monitoring duties to a NATO ally further north.

Officials said the operation showed the Royal Navy’s ability to track and deter foreign naval activity near the UK.

The Ministry of Defence noted that every Russian ship approaching UK waters is closely monitored and the Navy is ready to respond.

Lieutenant Commander Dan Wardle, commanding officer of HMS Mersey, stated that the operation gave the crew an opportunity to demonstrate their readiness and safeguard UK maritime interests.

He added that working with HMS Severn and NATO partners helped strengthen cooperation and share experience.

Lieutenant Commander Ross Gallagher of 815 Naval Air Squadron said the squadron’s engineers and aircrew ensured precise surveillance, quick reporting, and clear operational information while working closely with the Navy vessels.

The Russian ships had been returning from a deployment in the Mediterranean and were monitored throughout their voyage by NATO warships.

In a separate operation in the Mediterranean, HMS Dagger tracked the Russian tanker Grinch, which was later boarded by French forces.

The tanker is part of Russia’s shadow fleet, a group of 544 vessels under UK and European sanctions for transporting sanctioned oil.

HMS Dagger monitored the ship through the Strait of Gibraltar and photographed it.

Defence Secretary John Healey said tracking and disrupting the Russian shadow fleet is a government priority, aiming to block funds that support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

This follows a similar interception two weeks earlier, when HMS Mersey and a Wildcat helicopter monitored the Russian destroyer Severomorsk and merchant vessels Sparta IV and MYS Zhelaniya in the North Sea before handing monitoring duties to a NATO ally near France.

Reference: Royal Navy