By TOM COTTERILL, SENIOR REPORTER13:46 25 Sep 2025, updated 09:31 26 Sep 2025
The Royal Navy has scrambled a warship to shadow a Russian frigate and freighter off the UK coast, amid warnings Moscow is sending a rising number of ships through British waters.
Teams aboard HMS Iron Duke and a Wildcat helicopter tracked the heavily-armed warship RFN Neustrashimy as it escorted cargo ship Sparta IV through the North Sea and the English Channel.
The mission is the latest in a string of similar operations carried out by the Royal Navy and its Nato allies in recent months, which are worrying military top brass.
‘Russian warships are increasingly transiting through the English Channel,’ defence minister Luke Pollard today warned.
‘The Royal Navy protects the UK 24/7 to monitor Russian movements, ensuring the security of our waters and undersea cables.
‘Alongside our commitment to Nato‘s Eastern Sentry, this is a clear demonstration of how the UK stands firm with our Nato allies to deter Russian aggression.’
The Wildcat, from Yeovilton’s 815 Naval Air Squadron in Somerset, joined Plymouth-based HMS Iron Duke for the three-day operation.
It was the 18th time the Type 23 frigate had been activated on a mission of this type in the past 12 months, monitoring 25 Russian vessels.