British navy escorts Russian warship near UK waters

LONDON (AP) — British officials said the Royal Navy has escorted a Russian warship through the North Sea near UK waters.

Officials said yesterday the Russian ship was also shadowed by a navy helicopter as it transited near Britain.

The HMS St. Albans with 190 sailors on board was used to escort the Russian Admiral Gorshkov frigate through what British officials called “areas of national interest” on Christmas Day.

The navy says there has been a recent surge in Russian vessels traveling near UK waters. Officials say that on Christmas Eve, a navy vessel was used to escort a Russian intelligence-gathering ship through the North Sea and English Channel.

Defense Secretary Gavin William said Britain wouldn’t tolerate aggression.

British officials warn that Russian ships may cut undersea Internet cables.

Relations between Britain and Russia are strained, and UK foreign minister Boris Johnson said there was “abundant evidence” of Moscow meddling in foreign elections during a trip to Russia last week. His counterpart Sergey Lavrov said there was no proof for Johnson’s claim.

While Johnson said he wants to normalize relations with Russia, Moscow blames London for the poor state of relations between the countries.

Britain’s defense ministry said another ship, HMS Tyne, was called to escort a Russian intelligence-gathering ship through the North Sea and the English Channel on Christmas Eve.