Royal Navy maintains the pressure on Russian warships sailing through UK waters
A Royal Navy warship and a helicopter have completed a 48-hour operation monitoring Russian activity in UK waters as part of coordinated Nato efforts.
HMS Mersey and a Naval Air Squadron Wildcat helicopter were deployed to report on the movements of Moscow's Steregushchiy-class frigate RFN Soobrazitelny and sanctioned oil tanker MV Anatoly Kolodkin.
The River-class patrol vessel and the Wildcat kept a close watch of the pair, using powerful radars and sensors to gather valuable information, while the two Russian ships sailed westward through the English Channel.
"This operation provides a clear example of Mersey's readiness and operational capability in monitoring Russian vessel movements through our waters," Lieutenant Commander Dan Wardle, HMS Mersey's Commanding Officer, said.
"Our coordination with allied forces further amplifies our situational awareness and response capacity, ensuring we are able to safeguard the integrity of our maritime environment."
The two Russian ships separated at the western end of the Channel, with the Royal Navy following Soobrazitelny back eastwards through the Channel as the Anatoly Kolodkin continued to sail into the Atlantic.
This latest operation comes only two weeks after the Royal Navy trailed two sanctioned Russian cargo ships and their escorting warships in UK waters as part of a Nato effort from the Mediterranean to the North Sea.
Russian navy Ropucha-class landing ship Aleksandr Otrakovsky and merchant vessel Sparta IV were tracked in the first operation, which began with HMS Cutlass of the Royal Navy's Gibraltar Squadron intercepting the Russians in the Gibraltar Strait before HMS Tyne and a Wildcat helicopter tracked them in the Channel and North Sea.
Only two days later, Tyne and a Wildcat were sent out again to observe another Russian Ropucha-class warship, Aleksandr Shabalin, and cargo vessel MV Sabetta as they sailed westward through the English Channel.
"In an increasingly contested and uncertain world, the work of HMS Mersey and 815 Naval Air Squadron is another example of the Royal Navy's enduring commitment to protecting UK home waters," Fleet Commander Vice Admiral Steve Moorhouse said.
UK supported French operation to board shadow fleet tanker
British forces have helped the French in an operation to intercept and board a vessel alleged to be part of Russia's shadow fleet, Defence Secretary John Healey has said.
The French navy intercepted the Deyna, an oil tanker, in the Mediterranean.
HMS Cutlass monitored the Deyna and supported the French operation with tracking and image capture near the Gibraltar Strait, BFBS Forces News understands.
The Russian shadow fleet is used to carry Russian oil and goods around the world to avoid sanctions placed on Vladimir Putin's country following the invasion of Ukraine four years ago.
"Disrupting, deterring and degrading Russia's shadow fleet and starving Putin's war machine of funds is a priority for this government, and we will continue to take action alongside our allies," Mr Healey said.
"As threats increase and demands on defence rise, I am proud of the support our UK Armed Forces provided to this French operation, keeping Britain safe at home as we support Ukraine, deter Russia and deliver defensive operations in the Middle East."
BFBS Forces News understands that the Deyna has been sanctioned by the UK and Europe for her role in facilitating trade in sanctioned oil.
The UK has imposed sanctions on nearly 600 Russian shadow fleet vessels, meaning the Kremlin's critical oil export revenues are at their lowest level since 2020.
"The war involving Iran will not deflect France from its support for Ukraine, where Russia's war of aggression continues unabated," French president Emmanuel Macron said.
"These vessels, which evade international sanctions and violate the law of the sea, are profiteers of war. They line their pockets while helping finance Russia’s war effort. We will not allow it."
In January, UK military bases, an RAF P-8 Poseidon surveillance aircraft and the Royal Navy's RFA Tideforce were deployed to support an American operation to detain the Russian-flagged oil tanker, Marinera, which was previously called Bella-1.
Later that same month, Royal Navy patrol boat HMS Dagger helped the French seize another sanctioned ship, the Grinch, in the Western Mediterranean, shadowing the vessel through the Straits of Gibraltar.
The UK has pushed for allies to carry out more seizures of shadow fleet vessels, with the Defence Secretary and Attorney General, Lord Hermer KC, meeting senior officials from other nations to discuss military and legal options earlier this month.
UK forces have not yet boarded a sanctioned vessel themselves.
Related topics
Join Our Newsletter
