British warships shadow Russian convoy in UK waters for three days

The Royal Navy conducted a 72-hour operation to monitor four Russian ships passing through UK waters, using three vessels and a helicopter. The Russian destroyer Admiral Levchenko was escorting sanctioned cargo ships, prompting Russia to deploy a frigate in response. A senior naval officer warned that shadow fleet vessels pose an unacceptable risk to UK security.

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The 72-hour surveillance operation involved three Royal Navy warships—HMS Duncan, HMS St Albans, and HMS Severn—supported by a Merlin helicopter. The Russian destroyer Admiral Levchenko was escorting two sanctioned cargo vessels, General Skobelev and Sparta, toward Dover, with Moscow deploying the Neustrashimy frigate as additional protection for the shipment.

Russian naval activity in UK waters has escalated notably, with July monitoring totaling 21 days, a 25% increase over the previous year. In June, Royal Marines boarded and seized the Russian tanker Smyrtos, marking the first direct boarding of a shadow fleet vessel by British forces. The Kremlin has issued threats following Prime Minister Andy Burnham