UK Navy Intercepts Russian Warships in English Channel

The British Ministry of Defence reported that Royal Navy vessels intercepted two Russian warships in the English Channel in the past two weeks, amid heightened concerns over Russian naval activity near UK waters. The incidents follow a confrontation last week involving a Russian spy ship off the coast of Scotland, where the vessel targeted British surveillance aircraft with lasers.

The patrol vessel HMS Severn shadowed the Russian corvette RFN Stoikiy and the tanker Yelnya as they transited westward through the Dover Strait and into the English Channel, en route to Africa. The ministry stated that HMS Severn maintained a close watch during the operation, eventually transferring monitoring responsibilities to a NATO ally off the coast of Brittany in northwest France. Officials described the escort as routine, with HMS Severn positioned to respond to any unusual activity. This marks the second such encounter with the Stoikiy this year; in May, two British ships and a naval air squadron tracked the corvette through the same waters.

Days earlier, the research vessel Yantar, operated by Russia's deep-sea unit, was detected north of Scotland just outside territorial waters. A Royal...