Royal Navy tracks Russian warships in UK waters amid 25% surge

The Royal Navy spent 21 days in July tracking Russian warships and submarines in British waters and the North Atlantic, officials confirmed, as naval operations to monitor Moscow's vessels increased by 25 percent compared to the same period last year. The heightened activity underscores the growing pressure on UK naval resources to counter Russian movements near home waters, particularly those involving the escort of sanctioned oil tankers.

Four Royal Navy vessels, HMS Somerset, HMS Tyne, HMS Mersey, and HMS Severn, were deployed throughout the month, supported by Wildcat and Merlin helicopters. The operations focused heavily on the Russian frigate RFN Neustrashimy, which repeatedly entered the UK's area of responsibility to escort tankers from Russia's so-called shadow fleet. This network of aging vessels is used to evade international sanctions on oil exports, with the UK and allies seeking to disrupt the revenue stream funding Russia's war in Ukraine.

A key incident occurred on July 20, when Portsmouth-based HMS Tyne moved to within five nautical miles of the Neustrashimy as the Russian ship conducted gunnery exercises outside UK and French territorial waters. The British...