Nine Royal Navy ships have completed a “concentrated operation” to shadow seven Russian warships, the British Royal Navy said Thursday, citing “unusually high levels of activity” in the English Channel and North Sea.
“Royal Navy sailors and aircrew were monitoring every movement of the Russian ships using state-of-the-art radar, surveillance cameras and sensors, allowing them to track their course and speed as they passed the British Isles,” the Royal Navy’s statement said.
According to Lieutenant Nick Ward, the operation represents part of the Royal Navy’s “routine business” and highlights their “enduring commitment to uphold the security” of the UK.
“Portsmouth-based HMS Tyne spent more than a week working in the English Channel, in often challenging seas, keeping a close eye on the Russian vessels as they pass the south coast,” the statement added.
British forces are occasionally forced to respond to Russian aircraft or ships nearing the UK’s shores.
