Royal Navy ships have been activated 116 times in the last year to track nearly 90 Russian or Russian-linked vessels in the UK's exclusive economic zone, according to the Ministry of Defence's annual report.
That means the Navy is being deployed on average twice a week to shadow Russian warships and sanctioned oil tankers operating near British shores.
Warnings of an 'open sea border'
The deployments follow warnings from the First Sea Lord, General Sir Gwyn Jenkins, that Russian incursions into British waters had soared by nearly a third in the previous two years. He has said Britain faces an "open sea border" with Russia in the North Atlantic as tensions rise between Moscow and NATO.
In total, 61 Russian warships and submarines were shadowed by the Navy over the past 12 months, while 28 suspected "shadow fleet" merchant vessels were also followed, according to The Telegraph.
Shadow fleet operations
The Russian vessels are accused of helping to fund Moscow's war on Ukraine by transporting oil and gas while evading international sanctions. A defence source told The Telegraph that Moscow is "constantly trying to pressure the UK and tighten the screws", describing it as a "significant challenge" for the Navy.
Tensions reached a flashpoint in June when Royal Marine commandos boarded and seized an alleged shadow fleet tanker around 25 miles off the Isle of Wight in the first UK-led operation of its kind. That came after Britain had been accused of not doing enough to stop the sanctioned vessels.
Two months earlier, officials revealed that the Navy and allied forces had foiled a Russian submarine operation suspected of surveying vital undersea infrastructure near the UK.
MoD response
A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: "The Royal Navy monitors maritime activity around the UK 24/7 to protect our waters and critical national infrastructure. As Russian warships operate near our shores, our sailors and aircrew watch and track their every move. The defence investment plan outlines spending commitments to strengthen our deterrence – including our £1.5bn investment in creating a new hybrid Navy with state-of-the-art crewed ships and drones."
