The Royal Navy tracked and shadowed a Russian frigate every day last month as it sailed from the Atlantic to the North Sea, amid rising maritime tensions between London and Moscow. The Admiral Grigorovich frigate escorted six Russia-linked vessels during April, including at least three under economic sanctions passing east through the Dover Strait, while being monitored continuously by four UK ships and helicopters.
The frigate, believed still to be in the North Sea, maintained its presence near Britain by taking on supplies near Galloper windfarm off the Suffolk coast. A second frigate, Admiral Kasatonov, passed through the Channel towards the end of April escorting two merchant ships heading towards Tartus in Syria, one of which, the Sparta, is associated with arms transportation. That convoy was monitored by the British auxiliary ship RFA Tideforce.
Defence Secretary John Healey said a month ago that the navy had followed three Russian submarines on a month-long mission sailing over pipelines and cables near UK waters, probably spying on the infrastructure below. Elisabeth Braw, a security expert at the Atlantic Council, described the level of escort as 'completely disproportionate', noting that navies normally only escort vessels when there is a clear military threat.
The heightened Russian maritime activity follows Prime Minister Keir Starmer's announcement in March that the UK would seize ships subject to economic sanctions transiting through UK waters, targeting what he called Putin's 'shadow fleet'. However, no seizures have taken place since then, likely deterred by the presence of Russian warships. Braw warned that Russia's willingness to use naval power to protect vessels makes it much more difficult for coastal states to intervene.
Other European countries have taken action against shadow fleet tankers this year. Sweden has detained five tankers, France has seized two, and Belgian special forces seized one in February. The US captured the Bella 1 tanker in January, which was reportedly escorted by a Russian submarine, with assistance from the UK.
