Royal Navy warships team up to shadow Russian vessel passing through UK waters

Royal Navy warships have once again intervened to escort Russian ships passing through UK waters.

HMS Duncan, a Type 45 destroyer, began to escort the Russian corvette Boikiy as she entered the English Channel off the coast of Brittany on 20 June.  

HMS Mersey then took over shadowing duties the following day, as the Boikiy passed the Isle of Wight heading eastwards, while HMS Duncan's crew returned to training.

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Armed Forces Minister Luke Pollard said Russian warships appear to be transiting through the English Channel more frequently.

"Russian warships are increasingly sailing through the English Channel, and every time they do a Royal Navy vessel will be keeping an eye on them," he said.

"I have every confidence, as should the British public, that our Royal Navy will continue to defend our waters and keep our undersea cables safe."

Boiky, which is part of the Russian navy's Baltic Fleet, is a repeat visitor to the Channel.

The Steregushchy-class corvette, which was commissioned in 2013, was tracked in UK waters by HMS Tyne in May and shadowed by HMS Somerset in March.

Using its sensors and powerful radar, HMS Duncan was able watch Boikiy's movements closely, as the Russian ship continued its journey back home from the west African coast.

The crew also noticed she was missing an anchor.

"Escorting foreign warships through waters near the UK is a vital part of our mission to protect our nation and uphold international maritime law," said Commander Daniel Lee, the Commanding Officer of HMS Duncan.

"It's a clear demonstration of our commitment to ensuring the safety and security of our seas, which are so important to the lives and livelihoods of the British people."

Also recently, HMS Trent and Wildcat helicopters from 815 Naval Air Squadron shadowed the Russian frigate Admiral Grigorovich as she sailed past Gibraltar, through the English Channel and into the North Sea, while HMS Mersey has tracked Russian warships five times this year, on what has become a familiar operation for crews.

On this occasion HMS Mersey escorted the Boikiy for three days until she reached the North Sea.

"This operation is routine business for the Royal Navy and demonstrates our ongoing commitment to safeguarding the integrity of UK waters," said Lieutenant Commander Daniel Wardle, the Commanding Officer of HMS Mersey.

"Monitoring the movement of transiting naval vessels through the region is a fundamental task and I am immensely proud of my ship’s company for the professionalism, teamwork, and vigilance they consistently display."

The increase in Russian warships passing through UK waters comes at a time when the Government is warning that Russia could be a serious threat to global security.