Russian Navy warships shadowed by Royal Navy in UK waters
The Royal Navy have been urged to deploy its warships and helicopters to shadow Russian activity in the English Channel and North Sea.
The plans have been announced as part of a four-day operation to monitor Vladmir Putin's latest actions. It comes as Luke Pollard, Minister for the Armed Forces, issued a warning that Russian warships are "increasingly sailing through the English Channel".
In response to the increase in appearances, the Royal Navy has been instructed to strengthen its defence. Portsmouth-based destroyer HMS Duncan and patrol ship HMS Mersey worked in tandem as they reported on the movements of RFN Boikiy as the corvette sailed eastwards through the English Channel.
Mr Pollard stressed: 'Russian warships are increasingly sailing through the English Channel, and every time they do, a Royal Navy vessel will be keeping an eye on them. I have every confidence, as should the British public, that our Royal Navy will continue to defend our waters and keep our undersea cables safe.'
Commander Daniel Lee, Commanding Officer of HMS Duncan, said: 'Escorting foreign warships through waters near the UK is a vital part of our mission to protect our nation and uphold international maritime law. It's a clear demonstration of our commitment to ensuring the safety and security of our seas, which are so important to the lives and livelihoods of the British people.
'As a ship's company, we are proud to carry out this duty on behalf of the nation, showcasing our professionalism and readiness to respond to any task required of us.'
This operation came soon after patrol ship HMS Trent and Wildcat helicopters from 815 Naval Air Squadron shadowed RFN Admiral Grigorovich as part of joint NATO efforts as the Russian frigate sailed past Gibraltar, through the English Channel and into the North Sea.
Type 45 destroyer Duncan met the Steregushchiy-class corvette near the island of Ushant at the southwestern end of the Channel on the French coast on June 20. HMS Mersey took over duties off the Isle of Wight on June 21, with Duncan returning to training ahead of operations.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Western Telegraph
27 minutes ago
- Western Telegraph
Trump meets Zelensky and says higher Nato spending may deter future aggression
Nato members agreed to raise their spending targets by 2035 to 5% of gross domestic product (GDP) annually on core defence requirements as well as defence- and security-related spending. That target had been 2% of GDP. 'Europe stepping up to take more responsibility for security will help prevent future disasters like the horrible situation with Russia and Ukraine,' Mr Trump said at the summit-ending news conference shortly after meeting with Mr Zelensky. 'And hopefully we're going to get that solved.' The US president also reiterated his belief that Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to end the war in Ukraine that began with Moscow's invasion in February 2022. 'He'd like to get out of this thing. It's a mess for him,' Mr Trump said. 'He called the other day, and he said, 'Can I help you with Iran?' I said, 'No, you can help me with Russia'.' Mr Trump's meeting with Mr Zelensky was their first face-to-face session since April when they met at St Peter's Basilica during Pope Francis's funeral. Mr Trump also had a major confrontation with Mr Zelensky earlier this year at the White House. Mr Zelensky, in a social media post, said The Hague talks were substantive and he thanked Mr Trump for the US assistance. 'We discussed how to achieve a ceasefire and a real peace. We spoke about how to protect our people. We appreciate the attention and the readiness to help bring peace closer,' Mr Zelensky added. Mr Trump left open the possibility of sending Kyiv more US-made Patriot air defence missile systems. Asked by a Ukrainian reporter, who said that her husband was a Ukrainian soldier, Mr Trump acknowledged that sending more Patriots would help the Ukrainian cause. 'They do want to have the antimissile missiles, OK, as they call them, the Patriots,' Mr Trump said. 'And we're going to see if we can make some available. We need them, too. We're supplying them to Israel, and, they're very effective, 100% effective. Hard to believe how effective. They do want that more than any other thing.' Over the course of the war, the US has routinely pressed for allies to provide air defence systems to Ukraine. But many are reluctant to give up the high-tech systems, particularly countries in Eastern Europe that also feel threatened by Russia. Mr Trump laid into the US media throughout his news conference but showed unusual warmth towards the Ukrainian reporter. 'That's a very good question,' Mr Trump said about the query about Patriots. 'And I wish you a lot of luck. I mean, I can see it's very upsetting to you. So say hello to your husband.' Ukraine has been front and centre at recent Nato summits. But as the alliance's latest annual meeting of leaders opened in the Netherlands, Mr Zelensky was not in the room. The Trump administration has blocked Ukraine's bid to join Nato. The conflict with Russia has laid waste to Ukrainian towns and killed thousands of civilians. Just last week, Russia launched one of the biggest drone attacks of the war. During Mr Trump's 2024 campaign for the White House, the Republican pledged a quick end to the war. He saw it as a costly conflict that, he claimed, would not have happened had he won re-election in 2020. Since taking office in January, he has struggled to find a resolution to the conflict and has shown frustration with both Mr Putin and Mr Zelensky. Mr Zelensky spent Tuesday in The Hague shuttling from meeting to meeting. He got a pledge from summit host the Netherlands for military aid, including new drones and radars to help knock out Russian drones. British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced that the United Kingdom will provide 350 air defence missiles to Ukraine, funded by £70 million raised from the interest on seized Russian assets.
Rhyl Journal
an hour ago
- Rhyl Journal
British woman stranded in Israel remains in dark about evacuation flights
The first RAF flight set off from Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv on Monday afternoon carrying 63 British passengers, who landed in Cyprus and were then flown back to Birmingham Airport, where they arrived in the early hours of Tuesday. In the days since, more Britons have made the journey home as part of the Government's evacuation strategy. It comes as Israeli airspace reopened on Monday after being closed for 10 days following the start of the conflict between Israel and Iran on June 13. British-Israeli Mali Smith, 66, said she has not heard from the Foreign Office since registering for the repatriation flights on Wednesday June 18, leading her to book a flight home to London for 600 US dollars (£439) as she 'can't bear the stress anymore'. Mrs Smith, a solicitor born in Tel Aviv but who now lives in Hampstead Garden Suburb, London, with her husband, had arrived in Israel on June 11 to see her mother and friends. The mother-of-two has twice booked flights to Luton Airport, one with Wizz Air and one with Israir, which were both cancelled. She said: 'After my flights were cancelled, the Foreign Office sent many of us an email saying that they were planning on sending an RAF plane to rescue us and take us back to the UK. 'But it's been days now and I'm still waiting for a response – even though we had to pay them £350 for the pleasure. 'They have been in touch with some Brits but many of us are still waiting and I don't understand why they are sending such a small aeroplane with only 63 seats, while there are thousands who have applied for the flights. 'I sent them emails and I called them, but they couldn't give me an answer – I have been in touch with my MP and she has tried hard to help some of us here, but we've had no success. 'It's nerve-wracking and it's really hard to sit around and wait for them to do something. 'Now the war has a ceasefire, so I don't know what's going to happen – they might cancel it all even before they have rescued us.' Mrs Smith says that the lack of information about the flights has left those who remain in the country feeling stranded waiting for more support. She said she had also been told that British nationals have had phone calls from the Foreign Office as late as 3am in the morning, asking them to be at the airfield just six hours later at 9am, only for their flight to be delayed until 1pm. Mrs Smith said: 'The organisation of the evacuation has not been good enough. 'I'm in Tel Aviv, right next to the Iron Dome, and the noise is really loud and scary, and it means you can't sleep properly. 'The community has been great, they've been so supportive and there's a lot of warmth from everyone. 'But the UK Government has been so slow to respond and I'm just disappointed that it's taken them that long and that the communication is that bad. 'I don't know whether to book another flight and forget about the evacuation flight, and whether I can claim the money back. 'The situation has improved here with the ceasefire which seems like it's holding, but the Foreign Office needs to be so much better.' The FCDO has been contacted for comment.
Rhyl Journal
an hour ago
- Rhyl Journal
Harry Dunn review ‘will not scrutinise actions of US government'
The 19-year-old's family met with senior officials at the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) on Wednesday where they were told the probe will be led by former chief inspector of prisons Dame Anne Owers. The PA news agency understands the review is set to examine the support the FCDO offered the Dunn family after Harry was killed by a former US state department employee in a road crash in 2019. The American driver, Anne Sacoolas, had diplomatic immunity asserted on her behalf following the incident outside RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire before a senior Foreign Office official said they should 'feel able' to put her on the next flight home. PA understands the probe, which is scheduled to last for three months, is also set to look at the actions taken by the Foreign Office in the months after Harry's death and the nature of internal decision-making. The review will also look to identify lessons to be learned for the FCDO for comparable future situations. The involvement of the US government, which asserted the diplomatic immunity on behalf of Ms Sacoolas, will not be examined – alongside any issues covered in previous court hearings. Dame Anne could look to request interviews with relevant staff within the Foreign Office at the time of Harry's death, as well as documents from within the FCDO. Following the meeting, family spokesman Radd Seiger told PA: 'I think overall the family are feeling that we are going to leave a legacy for Harry, which is that no family should ever be treated the way this family were by their own government. 'The American government really were stepping on their rights; nobody really from the government stepped forward to help them. 'Dame Anne is going to look into all of this and make a series of recommendations to David Lammy that should this ever happen again, whether here or abroad, that they will get the support and representation of the Government that they need. So we are very, very pleased. 'The reason we got justice for Harry in the end was no thanks to the United Kingdom government; it was thanks to the British public and the media on both sides of the Atlantic, who spoke truth to power and made sure that we held them to account.' Harry's mother Charlotte Charles said the current Government was more 'welcoming' than the previous Conservative one. She said: 'I think this Government is totally different to what we were dealing with before: they were calmer, they seemed to want to engage with us, they are welcoming us to the Foreign Office. 'We aren't being shoved down the road and they seem to have a lot of patience and time for us to get the answers that we need. 'The previous government's meetings were very fraught. I think they had us in their offices under duress almost. 'I think they almost felt like they had to do it and we could feel that in the room. But since the Labour Government got in, they've been more open with us and more welcoming.' She said she hoped the inquiry would 'get to the reason as to why we were treated so poorly'. Ms Charles added: 'Why did they kick us down the road, why did they try to shove Harry's life under the carpet? 'What was more important than our son's life? They were rude, they were brutal with us. They were not engaging with us at all. 'They did everything they possibly could to try to make us go away and give up. The answers we need now are why. What were they so scared of?'
