ROYAL NAVY TRACKS RUSSIAN WARSHIPS AND SANCTIONED CARGO VESSELS THROUGH THE ENGLISH CHANNEL

ROYAL NAVY TRACKS RUSSIAN WARSHIPS AND SANCTIONED CARGO VESSELS THROUGH THE ENGLISH CHANNEL

For 72 hours, the Royal Navy closely monitored several Russian vessels operating near British waters.

The destroyer HMS Duncan, frigate HMS St Albans, and offshore patrol vessel HMS Severn tracked the Russian destroyer Admiral Levchenko, which was reportedly escorting two sanctioned cargo ships, General Skobelev and Sparta.

 A Royal Navy Merlin helicopter also monitored the group as it approached the Strait of Dover. Moscow reportedly deployed additional military assets, including the frigate Neustrashimy, to accompany the Russian vessels.

The Royal Navy said the operation was part of wider efforts to monitor Russian maritime activity and prevent vessels linked to Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” from evading international sanctions. British officials have also warned of the potential risks such vessels pose to maritime security and the environment.

After the operation, responsibility for monitoring the group was reportedly handed over to a NATO ally off the coast of Brittany, France.

 London says it remains on high alert amid increasing Russian military and maritime activity around British waters.