A Russian warship armed with cruise and surface-to-air missiles has been spotted just 30 miles off the British coast, escorting dozens of sanctioned oil tankers through the English Channel. The RFN Admiral Grigorovich, a frigate, is being supported by a supply ship that allows it to remain on station near the Galloper wind farm off Suffolk.
The two vessels are working together, with the 122-metre supply ship replenishing the frigate, enabling it to loiter in UK waters. According to Starboard Maritime Intelligence, the Admiral Grigorovich has accompanied over a dozen so-called 'shadow fleet' tankers through the Channel, raising concerns that the Kremlin is facilitating Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine.
Naval expert Elisabeth Braw of the Atlantic Council warned that the risky refuelling operations could lead to an ecological disaster. 'Ship-to-ship transfers are risky and you have to be incredibly careful as accidents can happen,' she said. 'They may well need to transfer oil, but it's clearly also a signal to the UK authorities that they can do it, even with inherent risk of oil spills, and there's not much the UK can do about it.'
The presence of an armed warship so close to critical UK infrastructure, including offshore wind farms, has alarmed NATO allies. A NATO monitoring mission has been launched, with the Dutch Royal Navy vessel DSS Galatea shadowing the Russian ships. Braw added that enforcing sanctions could now lead to armed conflict, as the Russian warship's presence means any interception would be more than just a law enforcement issue.
