A Royal Navy warship has completed a concentrated three-day operation to track a Russian submarine and its support tug as they transited near the UK.
The Plymouth-based Type 23 frigate HMS Iron Duke monitored the surfaced Russian Kilo-class submarine Novorossiysk and its tug, the Yakov Grebelsky, near the French coast at the entrance to the English Channel.
Over the following 72 hours, from October 7 to 9, HMS Iron Duke and its embarked Wildcat helicopter closely tracked and reported every movement of the Russian vessels as they transited through the Channel and into the North Sea. The frigate then passed on monitoring responsibilities to a NATO ally, reported as the Royal Netherlands Navy.
Al Carns, the Minister for the Armed Forces, stated, “Russian vessels have been passing through the English Channel more frequently and our Royal Navy is on the job 24/7, keeping a close eye on their movements to make sure our waters and undersea cables stay safe. This is a clear sign of how the UK stands strong with our NATO allies to push back against Russian aggression.”
The navy noted that the operation was part of a carefully coordinated allied effort involving 11 warships from six nations, which ensured constant monitoring of the Russian vessels.
The shadowing began in the Mediterranean Sea, where HMS Cutlass of the Gibraltar Fast Boat Squadron tracked the submarine through the Strait of Gibraltar before NATO warships took over the task.