Constituting a new precedent of the growing Russian naval activity in Europe, the British Royal Navy reported that it deployed its Type 23 frigate HMS Iron Duke from its home port in Plymouth to carry out the monitoring of the navigation of Russian Navy warships and transport vessels in the English Channel, being complemented by a Wildcat helicopter belonging to the 815th Naval Air Squadron based in Yeovilton. In particular, the RFN Neustrashimy frigate and the cargo ship Sparta IV were identified, which were kept under surveillance to guarantee their transit without major setbacks.
Regarding this event, Luke Pollard, who serves as Minister of State for Defence Industry and Readiness, stated: “Russian warships are increasingly transiting through the English Channel. The Royal Navy protects the United Kingdom 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to monitor Russian movements, ensuring the security of our waters and undersea cables. Along with our commitment to NATO’s Eastern Sentinel, this is a clear demonstration of the United Kingdom’s resolve with its NATO allies to deter Russian aggression.”
Expanding on some details, the official communiqué of the British Royal Navy expressed that this was an operation that involved four NATO countries and that extended from September 20 for a total of three days, in which the allies rotated the naval and air assets deployed for the surveillance of the Russian vessels as they approached their respective territorial waters. Moreover, it was reported that after completing the transit through the English Channel, the Sparta IV continued its route towards the Mediterranean and, after passing the island of Ushant, began to be followed by French allied forces.
For its part, the RFN Neustrashimy began its return journey towards the North Sea still escorted by HMS Iron Duke, marking what was the 18th deployment of this type carried out by the British frigate in question during the last twelve months, in which it monitored more than 25 Russian Navy vessels. From the side of the Wildcat helicopter, it was reported that it joined the operations once the Russian vessels were on the southern coast of the United Kingdom, with the main objective of gathering information on both ships.
It also cannot be ignored that the transit occurs at a time of tension for Europe regarding the continuity of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, especially for a United Kingdom committed to the defense of the latter. In recent dates, one of its most important intelligence authorities, Richard Moore (outgoing head of MI6), positioned himself with statements pointing towards a Russia far from being interested in peace negotiations and with intentions of prolonging the war in the long term to convince the rest of the world that a defeat of Kyiv is inevitable. From the other side of the Atlantic, U.S. President Donald Trump also directed his criticisms against the Kremlin, stating that his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin disappointed him with his lack of commitment to a possible peace.
*Image credits: Royal Navy
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