UK Royal Navy tracked Russian ships off British coast for three days
Britain's Royal Navy spent 72 hours last week monitoring four Russian military and cargo vessels near UK waters, as Moscow threatens to respond to London's support for Ukraine.
The UK's Royal Navy has revealed it spent three straight days last week closely monitoring Russian vessels moving near the British coastline. Details of the previously undisclosed operation were reported by The Guardian, as cited by European Pravda.
Four Russian ships travelling from the North Sea into the English Channel were tracked during the 72-hour operation. The Russian destroyer Admiral Levchenko escorted two sanctioned cargo ships, General Skobelev and Sparta, as they headed toward Dover.
Three Royal Navy frigates — HMS Duncan, HMS St Albans and HMS Severn — followed the vessels, with a helicopter providing additional aerial surveillance. Russia responded to the British monitoring by sending out the frigate Neustrashimy as well.
Growing activity
The Royal Navy has recently cautioned that Russian activity in UK waters is increasing. Russian warships are regularly spotted in the Dover Strait between Britain and France, as well as in the North Sea.
In July, a Russian warship carried out gunnery exercises off the British coast on the very day Andy Burnham was sworn in as prime minister. This week, Moscow warned it would "respond" to the UK's supply of weapons and technology to Ukraine.
