The Royal Navy has been continuously monitoring a Russian warship in UK waters for an entire month. The frigate Admiral Grigorovich has been shadowed by patrol ships HMS Tyne, HMS Mersey, and HMS Severn as it sailed throughout April to the west of the UK and in the North Sea.
Russian Ship Near Wind Farm
The Russian vessel also sailed close to the Galloper wind farm off the Suffolk coast. Patrol ships, tankers, and Wildcat helicopters from the Royal Navy have been tracking the movements of the Admiral Grigorovich. A spokesman stated, 'There was not one day last month when the Russian warship, her supporting vessels or the ships she was tasked with escorting were not closely watched by Royal Navy air or sea power.'
The Grigorovich moved between the North Sea and Western Approaches, escorting Russian-flagged vessels heading to and from the Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Baltic. It accompanied one submarine and around six merchant and support vessels during the month. The frigate also paused to take on fuel and supplies near key national infrastructure, including the Galloper wind farm off the Suffolk coast.
Previous Incidents
Late last year, a Russian warship and a tanker were spotted sailing through the English Channel. The HMS Severn intercepted the RFN Stoikiy, a corvette, and Yelnya, a tanker, as they sailed west through the Dover Strait into the English Channel. No incident was reported with the HMS Severn, which later handed over monitoring duties to a NATO ally off the coast of Brittany but continued to observe from a distance, the Ministry of Defence said.
Another Russian ship, the Yantar, used to map undersea cables, appeared on the edge of UK waters for a second time last year. After a Royal Navy frigate and RAF P8 planes were sent to track the ship, Russian crew members took the 'deeply dangerous' move of pointing lasers at the pilots. John Healey told a press conference that his message to Russia and President Vladimir Putin was: 'We see you, we know what you’re doing, and if the Yantar travels south this week, we are ready.'
