The Royal Navy deployed warships and aircraft to shadow Russian vessels in the English Channel over a two-day operation carried out in coordination with NATO allies.
Portsmouth-based patrol ships HMS Mersey and HMS Severn, along with a Wildcat helicopter from 815 Naval Air Squadron, monitored the Russian corvette Boikiy and the oil tanker MT General Skobelev as they sailed towards the North Sea.
HMS Mersey first intercepted the vessels as they entered the Channel, taking over from NATO allies who had tracked them through the Bay of Biscay.
Near the Isle of Wight, the two ships and the helicopter continued to monitor the Russian vessels using advanced sensors.
HMS Severn kept watch as the ships moved into the North Sea before handing monitoring duties to a NATO ally further north.
Officials said the operation showed the Royal Navy’s ability to track and deter foreign naval activity near the UK.
The Ministry of Defence noted that every
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