British Warship Keeps Close Watch On Russian Vessels

The Christmas break was cut short for the crew of Royal Navy frigate HMS Somerset when they were called upon to track Russian naval vessels sailing through the English Channel.

As per a recent Royal Navy press statement, on Christmas Day the ship's almost 200-strong crew were recalled to their vessel in Devonport Naval Base, setting sail two days later to intercept the corvette RFS Soobrazitelny and her two support vessels, MV Sparta II and MV General Skobelev in the North Sea.

The British ship then kept a close watch on the three Russian vessels across a 500-mile stretch of sea as they transited through the Dover Strait and into the English Channel and beyond. 

Foggy conditions initially meant the British ship had to rely on its sensor suite and visual monitoring, but when conditions cleared Somerset's Merlin helicopter was also deployed.

HMS Somerset’s Commanding Officer Commander Joel Roberts commented: "As the U.K. is an island nation, at all times of the year the Royal Navy maintains units at very high readiness to conduct operations in support of the UK’s national objectives.

“Maintaining maritime security, demonstrating an assertive presence, ensuring compliance with maritime law, and deterring malign activity in our territorial and adjacent waters are essential components of our maritime strategy and crucial to our national interests.”

• You can read more details on the Royal Navy website