The United Kingdom has stepped up its oversight of Russian military movements in UK waters and the North Atlantic, with Royal Navy operations rising by 25% during the first seven months of 2026 compared to the same period last year. The Ministry of Defence reported that Royal Navy ships and aircraft spent 21 days in July conducting surveillance missions near Russian warships and submarines operating close to UK territory. Four vessels were involved in these operations: HMS Somerset, HMS Tyne, HMS Mersey, and HMS Severn, along with Wildcat helicopters from 815 Naval Air Squadron and Merlin anti-submarine aircraft.
The Ministry of Defence said that a Russian frigate, RFN Neustrashimy, repeatedly entered the UK’s area of responsibility while escorting vessels identified as part of Russia’s shadow fleet, according to leadership.ng. This increased activity is putting more pressure on Royal Navy resources, as British forces continue to track these vessels closely. The heightened surveillance comes after the interception of the sanctioned shadow fleet oil tanker Smyrtos in the English Channel in June.
Britain has imposed sanctions on more than 500 vessels as part of efforts to disrupt Russia’s shadow fleet, which it accuses of supporting Moscow’s war in Ukraine. On July 20, HMS Tyne kept watch over the Neustrashimy as the Russian frigate conducted gunnery exercises outside UK and French territorial waters. The Ministry of Defence said that HMS Tyne approached within five nautical miles of the Russian vessel while observing the exercise and gathering intelligence.
During the exercise, the Russian frigate fired about 20 rounds from its main 100-millimetre weapon and additional rounds from its 30-millimetre battery. Lieutenant Commander Sam Fields, the commanding officer of HMS Tyne, said the deployment allowed for continuous monitoring of the Russian vessel while freeing up other fleet units to carry out their duties. Meanwhile, HMS Somerset completed a four-month mission tracking surface and underwater activity in the North Atlantic.
The Plymouth-based Type 23 frigate, equipped with underwater sensors and a Merlin anti-submarine warfare helicopter, returned to the UK after traveling more than 24,000 nautical miles. Commander Matt Millyard, who led the deployment, said it involved tracking submarines, cooperating with NATO allies, and supporting the Carrier Strike Group while maintaining a high state of readiness. HMS Severn also conducted two deployments in July to monitor Russian warships.
The vessel first followed RFN Admiral Grigorovich as the Russian frigate traveled east from the French island of Ushant towards Dover. Between July 23 and 26, HMS Severn was redeployed to monitor the Neustrashimy, replacing HMS Mersey in the North Sea. The Royal Navy vessel monitored the Russian frigate as it escorted the shadow fleet tanker MV Vulkan from the Baltic Sea through the Dover Strait towards Ushant.
After completing the escort mission, HMS Severn and HMS Mersey handed over monitoring duties as the Russian frigate continued west toward Dover. The Ministry of Defence said these increased deployments show the Royal Navy’s readiness to protect Britain and its allies against evolving threats in the North Atlantic and surrounding waters. This reflected a 30% increase in Russian naval activity over the previous two years, including operations to deter the spy ship Yantar that was spotted near undersea cables off Scotland in November 2025, according to a report from Yahoo News.
IMAGE: This is the first time that I have seen a British Navy ship at this location along the Liffey (Dublin, Ireland).
HMS Tyne (Pennant number P281) is the sixth Royal Navy ship to carry the name Tyne. She is a River class offshore patrol vessel vessel built by Vosper Thornycroft in Southampton to serve as a fishery protection unit within the United Kingdom’s waters along with her two sister ships Mersey and Severn. All three were commissioned into service in 2003 to replace the five older Island class patrol vessels.
The ships have large working decks to allow the vessels to cope in several roles, such as disaster relief, fire fighting, rescue work, and interception of other vessels. For this purpose a crane capable of lifting 25 tonnes for the use of standard containers is fitted. The deck is also large enough to permit the transport of other craft such as Oil Spill Recovery Tractors and landing craft.. Photo: William Murphy from Dublin, Ireland / Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 2.0
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