Second Russian vessel in a week tracked through English Channel
Royal Navy helicopters and a warship shadowed a surfaced Russian submarine as it sailed west through the North Sea and English Channel.
Novorossiysk, a Kilo-class submarine, was monitored by Portsmouth-based patrol ship HMS Mersey, a Wildcat helicopter from 815 Naval Air Squadron, and a specialist submarine-hunting Merlin aircraft from 824 Naval Air Squadron.
A Royal Navy spokesman said the submarine was accompanied by the Goryn-class tug boat Yakov Grebelski.
He added that 'the British warship and helicopters utilised powerful sensors and systems to watch every move' by the vessels.
A Ministry of Defence spokesman confirmed the incident happened within the last week but would not reveal specific dates.
It comes after the Boikiy, a Russian warship with guided missiles and mounted machine guns, entered the Channel on June 20 and passed into the North Sea.
The corvette, which travelled with two Russian oil tankers, was shadowed by the Portsmouth-based destroyer HMS Duncan and patrol ship HMS Mersey.
An increasing number of Russian military vessels are sailing through the Channel as Moscow looks to demonstrate its military presence.
'Professionalism, cohesion, and constant readiness'
Sources have confirmed this is the sixth time Novorossiysk has passed through British waters in three months.
On the latest incident, Lieutenant Commander Dan Wardle, HMS Mersey's commanding officer, said: 'This operation is another clear demonstration of the Royal Navy's enduring commitment to safeguarding the United Kingdom's maritime interests.
'Monitoring the transit of naval vessels through our area of responsibility remains a fundamental task; one that ensures we maintain situational awareness and the ability to respond swiftly when required.
'I am proud of my ship's company, whose professionalism, cohesion, and constant readiness continue to reflect the high standards expected of Royal Navy personnel.'
The Navy spokesman said that as the Russian submarine left UK waters, monitoring responsibilities were passed on to Nato allies.
He added that it was the sixth such tasking for HMS Mersey in the last three months.
It comes at a time of increased efforts by the UK and Nato to monitor Moscow's activity in European waters.
Last month, another shadow Kilo-class submarine, Krasnodar, was detected in the Channel, forcing the Navy to deploy HMS Tyne to track it.
That came just two weeks after HMS St Albans and HMS Mersey shadowed Russian vessels through the Channel in a separate incident.
At the same time, the number of Russian oil tankers passing through the Channel has almost doubled since London sanctioned Moscow following the invasion of Ukraine, according to data analysis by The Telegraph.
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