Navy escorts Russian visitors from British waters

THE Royal Navy been monitoring a series of Russian warships around Britain over Christmas.

HMS St Albans escorted the Admiral Gorshkov, a frigate, off the north coast of Scotland, while HMS Tyne shadowed a spy ship through the North Sea.

The Ministry of Defence reported “an upsurge in Russian units transiting UK waters” with the Navy monitoring four different vessels.

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

Russia is entitled to sail through UK and international waters around Britain according to the law of the sea, but Naval sources said the visits are often considered deliberately provocative at a time of frosty relations with Nato.

HMS St Albans, a frigate whose home port is Portsmouth, escorted the 4,500-ton Admiral Gorshkov as it passed close to British territorial waters near the Moray Firth and headed towards the Baltic in the early hours of Christmas Day. HMS Tyne escorted a Russian intelligence-gathering ship through the North Sea and the English Channel on Christmas Eve, while a Wildcat helicopter from 815 Naval Air Squadron, based at RNAS Yeovilton, monitored two further Russian vessels.

Chris Ansell, commanding officer of HMS St Albans, said: “Christmas Eve saw some particularly bumpy weather, with some of my newer sailors getting used to their sea legs but we have made sure the job was done and I will get my team back home as soon as possible.”