Russian Vessels Shadowed by UK Ships Over Holidays: Royal Navy

By Holly Kellum
December 26, 2017 Last Updated: December 26, 2017
British ships shadowed a number of Russian vessels over the holidays, which the Royal Navy said traversed U.K. waters. (Royal Navy)

A Russian warship sailing in international waters near UK territory was given a British escort on Christmas day, the Royal Navy revealed.

The HMS St Albans shadowed Russian warship Admiral Gorshkov, “keeping track of its activity in areas of national interest,” the Royal Navy said in a press release.

According to state-backed RT, Admiral Gorshkov, Russia’s newest guided-missile frigate, is in training and is scheduled to go into service by the end of next year.

On Christmas Eve, patrol vessel HMS Tyne was called out to monitor an intelligence-gathering Russian vessel as it traversed the North Sea and the English Channel.

The Royal Navy says it has seen an uptick in Russian vessels transiting UK waters over the holidays.

A Wildcat helicopter was also dispatched to monitor two other Russian vessels, the Royal Navy said.

UK Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach said in a speech earlier this month at the Royal United Services Institute that NATO had prioritized protecting undersea communication lines “in response to the threat posed by the modernization of the Russian navy, both nuclear and conventional submarines and ships,” reported the BBC.

“I will not hesitate in defending our waters or tolerate any form of aggression,” UK Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson said in the release, adding that “Britain will never be intimidated when it comes to protecting our country, our people, and our national interests.”

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