Royal Navy intercepts Russian warship and tanker off UK coast | EUROtoday

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 previously fortnight, the Ministry of Defence mentioned on Sunday.

The navy monitored the Russian actions via the Dover Strait and west via the English Channel. The ministry didn’t say precisely when the interception occurred.

HMS Severn later handed over monitoring duties to a NATO ally off the coast of Brittany, however continued to look at from a distance, the MoD mentioned.

The ministry reported a 30 per cent improve in Russian vessels “threatening” UK waters previously two years.

Commander Grant Dalgleish, HMS Severn’s Commanding Officer, mentioned the operation strengthened the Navy’s shut work with Nato allies and highlighted the worth of patrol ships.

The announcement got here simply days after defence secretary John Healey mentioned {that a} Russian spy ship was noticed on the sting of UK waters, the place it pointed lasers on the RAF pilots monitoring it. There had been no accidents sustained by British pilots and no harm to their planes or tools.

While tailing spy ship Yantar, a Royal Navy frigate and different civilian ships skilled GPS jamming.

The frigate HMS Somerset’s fight capabilities weren’t affected, the MoD mentioned. The Yantar is one ship in a fleet of Russian vessels which are a part of a Russian ministry of defence deep sea analysis programme often known as GUGI (Main Directorate of Deep-Sea Research).

GUGI has each specialist floor vessels and submarines which are used to survey underwater infrastructure, but additionally has the potential to break or destroy that infrastructure.

Mr Healey informed a Downing Street press convention 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 plane to Iceland’s Keflavik Air base to conduct surveillance operations as a part of what the MoD known as Nato’s collective defence.

The reconnaissance planes will patrol for Russian ships and submarines within the North Atlantic and the Arctic.

Wing Commander Higgins, Officer Commanding 120 Squadron, mentioned: “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.”