A Royal Navy destroyer was scrambled by NATO to intercept and monitor a Russian warship moving through UK waters in an event a Navy spokesperson described as a “historic first.”
According to the Royal Navy, HMS Duncan, stationed in Portsmouth, was deployed by the NATO Allied Maritime Command.
The Type 45 destroyer, accompanied by a Wildcat helicopter, monitored the Vice-Admiral Kulakov over the course of 48 hours as it traveled from the North Sea into the English Channel.
“We are watching. HMS Duncan shadowed destroyer Vice Admiral Kulakov through the English Channel during a 48-hour mission,” NATO Maritime Command said.
The helicopter, from the 815 Naval Air Squadron based at Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton, joined “to provide air support and maintain surveillance of the Russian vessel,” according to the Navy spokesperson.
It marked the first instance in which a Royal Navy warship was tasked under NATO’s direct command for such a mission, the spokesperson said, noting that the task formed part of wider security efforts against Russia across northern Europe.
Using high-end detection and tracking technology, the destroyer intercepted the Russian vessel in the North Sea, before shadowing its westward passage through the English Channel towards the island of Ushant off the French coast.
It was a joint mission which involved the coordination of the Dutch Air Force NH90 and French Navy.
NATO’s Allied Maritime Command, which oversaw the effort, is headquartered in Northwood, Middlesex, in England’s south east.
Al Carns, minister for the armed forces, said: “The Royal Navy stands ready to respond to any Russian Naval activity. They conduct constant monitoring operations to safeguard Britain and our territorial waters.”
“Once again the Royal Navy has deployed under Allied Maritime Command underpinning our unwavering solidarity with NATO to counter Russian activity,” he added.
Commander Dan Lee, the commanding officer of HMS Duncan, said: “This operation highlights the Royal Navy’s commitment to safeguarding UK waters and working seamlessly with our NATO allies to ensure the security of our shared maritime spaces.”
“The close co-ordination between UK, French and Dutch forces demonstrates the strength of our alliance and our ability to respond collectively to any activity in our region.”
“Tracking and escorting the Vice Admiral Kulakov through UK waters was a clear example of NATO’s interoperability in action,” he added.
HMS Duncan is one of two British warships currently assigned to Standing Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1), NATO’s northern European task force.
The deployment comes as Western intelligence agencies and officials voice growing concern over Moscow’s so-called “shadow fleet” of unflagged civilian ships.
Some suspect they could be being used to launch drones for reconnaissance and or for disrupting airports after a spate of incidents in NATO airspace since September which have widely been linked to Russia.
On Monday, UK Defence Secretary John Healey said that Vladimir Putin sees Britain as his “number one enemy” because of its wide-reaching support for Ukraine, and pledged to “ramp up” its response to Russian aggression.
Healey said that Britain is prepared to spend more than £100 million to support the potential deployment of its troops to Ukraine.
In January, Healey warned the British Parliament that the Royal Navy had tracked a Russian spy ship through UK waters suspected of “gathering intelligence and mapping the UK’s critical underwater infrastructure.”