Russian spy ship tracked off Scotland while monitoring NATO exercises
The UK's Royal Navy has tracked the Russian intelligence vessel Viktor Leonov off the coast of Scotland as it monitored NATO drills. The ship was near the Outer Hebrides from 29 September to 8 October.
The United Kingdom's Royal Navy says it has intercepted a Russian intelligence vessel off the Scottish coast that was monitoring NATO military exercises. The report was published on Monday, 2 November by the Ukrainian outlet European Pravda, citing the British newspaper The Telegraph.
According to the navy, the Russian communications ship Viktor Leonov, a Vishnya-class vessel, was near the Outer Hebrides from 29 September to 8 October. Merlin helicopters were used to track it. To maintain surveillance, the helicopters were urgently redeployed from the Culdrose base in Cornwall to Glasgow Prestwick Airport.
The ship was following NATO warships taking part in the Strike Warrior exercise, which involved 2,000 military personnel from six Alliance countries.
Comment and earlier incidents
James Hall, commander of the Royal Naval air station at Culdrose, said the operation showed both the British and their adversaries that the country is ready and able to safeguard its homeland around the clock. He added that Merlin helicopter units are prepared to respond at any moment.
The source notes that earlier this year the Merlin helicopters were fitted with the latest sonar buoys. The upgrade cost £40 million (almost €48 million) and is aimed at improving the tracking of Russian submarines.
The outlet also reports that in the first seven months of this year, Russian activity in and around British waters rose by 25% compared with the same period in 2025.
On 19 November 2025, the UK said it was monitoring a Russian spy ship off Scotland that was probably gathering data on undersea infrastructure. In September this year, NATO allies exposed Russian submarines in Arctic waters near the Svalbard archipelago that were practising with a secret weapon designed to disable critical undersea cables. Germany, meanwhile, sent a reconnaissance ship equipped with the latest electronic intelligence technology to the Baltic Sea because of the presence of Russian vessels there.
