The Royal Navy has shadowed three Russian ships through the English Channel.
British minehunter HMS Cattistock and a Wildcat helicopter were deployed on Wednesday to escort Russia’s Admiral Vladimirskiy – an oceanographic survey ship – as it travelled along the UK’s south coast.
The British minehunter worked closely with the helicopter to “keep a constant watch” through the busy shipping lane, the Royal Navy said.
This operation was followed rapidly by another, as HMS Somerset and tanker RFA Tidesurge were deployed to escort Russian landing ship RFN Alexander Otrakovsky and merchant vessel MV Ascalon through the Channel and North Sea.
The pair of Russian ships were sailing towards the Baltic Sea and had recently left the Mediterranean.
These latest operations follow a similar mission last week which saw Royal Navy warships and helicopters track a Russian task group returning from Syria – amid heightened Russian activity close to British territory.
HMS Somerset has been activated to monitor Russian convoys returning from the Mediterranean three times in the past month alone and recently visited Aberdeen to refuel for their latest mission.
More follows on this breaking news story…
