UK Navy shadows Russian warships and tanker in English Channel

Royal Navy warships and aircraft were activated this week to intercept and shadow Russian vessels transiting the English Channel, the UK Ministry of Defence told British media.

The two-day operation involved Portsmouth-based patrol ships HMS Mersey and HMS Severn, supported by a Wildcat helicopter. The vessels were dispatched to monitor the Russian corvette Boikiy and the oil tanker MT General Skobelev as they sailed toward the North Sea.

HMS Mersey first intercepted the Russian ships upon their entry into the English Channel, taking over shadowing duties from NATO allies that had previously tracked the vessels through the Bay of Biscay.

Near the Isle of Wight, HMS Severn and HMS Mersey operated in close coordination with the Wildcat helicopter to closely monitor the group. HMS Severn later continued shadowing the Russian vessels as they proceeded into the North Sea, before handing responsibility back to a NATO ally.

UK Defence Secretary John Healey also confirmed for the first time that the United Kingdom provided intelligence support to France during the boarding of a Russian-linked tanker in the Mediterranean the previous day. As part of that operation, the Royal Navy deployed HMS Dagger to assist French forces.

Commenting on the actions, Healey said: “Alongside our allies, we are stepping up our response to shadow vessels – to choke off the funds that fuel Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.”

By Tamilla Hasanova