Royal Navy Shadows Russian Vessels In English Channel

British warships have been keeping a close watch on Russian vessels as they sailed through the English Channel.

Type 23 frigate HMS Iron Duke, River-class offshore patrol vessel (OPV) HMS Tyne, a Wildcat helicopter from 815 Naval Air Squadron and replenishment tanker RFA Tideforce were called into action to monitor a flotilla of six Russian vessels.

The Russian Ropucha-class landing ship RFS Aleksandr Otrakovskiy and RFS Ivan Gren, the lead vessel in her landing ship class, were accompanying merchant vessels Sparta, Sparta II and General Skobelev and an oiler Yelnya.

They had sailed from the Mediterranean and were last week sailing through the Channel en route to a port in the Baltic Sea, as per a recent Royal Navy press statement.

HMS Iron Duke’s Commanding Officer Commander David Armstrong commented: “Whilst this particular Russian task group was not assessed to pose a specific threat to the U.K., this closely coordinated operation demonstrates our steadfast determination to protect our nation’s territorial seas and Critical National Infrastructure; on which our economic prosperity depends.

“It is not enough to hope passing non-allied warships will not threaten our maritime security — we will be there to make sure they can’t.”

The Royal Navy ships kept constant watch over the Russian vessels during their approach, transit and departure; RFA Tideforce was the first U.K. vessel to approach just west of Brest on the French coast, subsequently joined by OPV HMS Tyne.

Plymouth-based frigate HMS Iron Duke linked up with the other British assets as the Russian ships entered the Channel.

Last month Russian "research vessel" Yantar, a suspected spy ship,  was tracked through the Channel and Strait of Dover by HMS Tyne in tandem with another Type 23 frigate, HMS Somerset.

• You can read more details on the Royal Navy website