British warships and a helicopter tracked a Russian corvette and accompanying tanker through the English Channel this week as part of a coordinated NATO effort to monitor Moscow’s naval movements near UK waters.
Portsmouth-based patrol vessels HMS Mersey and HMS Severn, supported by a Wildcat helicopter from 815 Naval Air Squadron, intercepted the corvette Boikiy and oil tanker MT General Skobelev as the vessels made their way towards the North Sea following a deployment in the Mediterranean.
HMS Mersey took over shadowing duties from NATO allies after they had monitored the Russian ships through the Bay of Biscay. Near the Isle of Wight, both British patrol vessels combined with the Wildcat helicopter to observe the group, using sensors to gather information and report on their movements. HMS Severn continued tracking the vessels into the North Sea before handing responsibility to another NATO ally as the ships continued northward.
Armed Forces Minister Al Carns said the operation sent a clear message. “Every time a Russian ship comes near the UK, the Navy is ready to track, deter, and defend,” he stated.
The interception followed a similar operation just two weeks earlier, when HMS Mersey and an 815 Naval Air Squadron Wildcat tracked the Russian destroyer Severomorsk and merchant vessels Sparta IV and MYS Zhelaniya through the Strait of Dover and English Channel.
In a separate development, patrol boat HMS Dagger from the Royal Navy Gibraltar Squadron monitored the tanker Grinch through the Strait of Gibraltar. The vessel, one of 544 ships in Russia’s so-called shadow fleet subject to UK and European sanctions for facilitating trade in sanctioned oil, was subsequently boarded by French forces.
Defence Secretary John Healey confirmed Britain had provided tracking support for the French operation. He said: “Deterring, disrupting and degrading the Russian shadow fleet is a priority for this government. 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.”
Britain’s Armed Forces routinely monitor suspected Russian shadow fleet activity near UK waters and share intelligence with allies and partners.
