British Navy Shadows Russian Warships Off UK, ‘Ready To Respond’

An undated photo showing a sailor aboard the British naval vessel HMS Northumberland monitoring the movement of Vice-Admiral Kulakov, an Udaloy-class destroyer, in waters off the coast of Scotland. UK Royal Navy

The British navy has sounded the alarm over what it calls a “significant Russian presence” in waters near the UK, announcing that nine Russian vessels, including warships, have taken part in a “concerted operation” lasting several weeks.

“The Royal Navy has monitored nine Russian vessels around the UK in recent weeks,” the UK Royal Navy said in a Dec. 4 statement. “Every move made by the Russians—a surfaced submarine, destroyer, corvette, patrol ship and their supporting tugs and supply ships—was watched closely by eight RN ships from the English Channel and the Celtic Sea to waters close to the west coast of Scotland in a concerted operation over the last two weeks.”