British navy intercepts Russian corvette and tanker as Moscow steps up naval activity

A UK patrol ship has intercepted a Russian corvette and a tanker after shadowing them through the English Channel, the Defense Ministry said Sunday, adding that Russian naval activity around UK waters had increased by 30% over the past two years.

With the past two weeks, the patrol ship HMS Severn intercepted the Russian corvette RFN Stoikiy and tanker Yelnya as they sailed through the English Channel, the ministry said. The Severn eventually handed over monitoring duties to an unidentified NATO ally off the coast of Brittany.

In addition to the ships stationed around the UK coast, Britain has deployed three Poseidon surveillance aircraft to Iceland as part of a NATO mission patrolling for Russian ships and submarines in the North Atlantic and Arctic, the ministry said.

The news comes just days after Defense Secretary John Healey told reporters that the Russian spy ship Yantar had aimed lasers at the pilots of surveillance aircraft monitoring its activities off the coast of Scotland. Britain described the Yantar’s actions as “reckless and dangerous,” adding that Britain was ready to respond to any incursions into its territory.

The Russian Embassy in London responded to Healey’s comments by accusing the British government of “whipping up militaristic hysteria,” adding that Moscow has no interest in undermining the UK’s security.