Russian spy ship tracking NATO exercises intercepted off the coast of Scotland
The UK's Royal Navy says its Merlin helicopters tracked the Russian intelligence vessel Viktor Leonov off Scotland. The ship was monitoring NATO's Strike Warrior exercise.
The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom said on 2 November that it had intercepted a Russian intelligence vessel off the coast of Scotland that was monitoring military exercises by NATO countries. Ukrainska Pravda's European affairs outlet, Evropeiska Pravda, relayed the information from the British newspaper The Telegraph. The episode shows that Russian surveillance in British waters continues and that London is countering it with helicopter patrols.
What is known about the ship
The vessel is the Vishnya-class communications ship Viktor Leonov. According to the navy, it was near the Outer Hebrides from 29 September to 8 October. Merlin helicopters followed its movements and were urgently redeployed from the Culdrose base in Cornwall to Glasgow Prestwick Airport.
The ship was shadowing NATO warships taking part in the Strike Warrior exercise, which involved 2,000 military personnel from six Alliance countries.
James Hall, commander of the Royal Naval air station at Culdrose, said the operation showed both the British and their adversaries that the country can ensure its security around the clock. He added that the Merlin helicopter units are ready to respond at any moment.
Background
Earlier this year, the Merlin helicopters were fitted with the latest sonar buoys in an upgrade costing £40 million (almost €48 million), aimed at improving the tracking of Russian submarines. According to the publication, Russian activity in and around British waters rose by 25% in the first seven months of this year compared with the same period of 2025.
On 19 November 2025, the UK reported that it was monitoring a Russian spy ship off the Scottish coast, which was probably collecting data on underwater infrastructure. In September 2026, NATO allies exposed Russian submarines in Arctic waters near the Svalbard archipelago that were practising the use of a secret weapon designed to disable critical undersea cables. Germany, meanwhile, sent a reconnaissance ship equipped with advanced electronic intelligence technology to the Baltic Sea because of the presence of Russian vessels there.
