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Royal Navy Scrambles Warships to Shadow Russian Fleet Near Britain
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The Royal Navy deployed four warships and supporting aircraft to monitor Russian naval activity near UK waters over ten days, the UK Defence Journal reported on April 9.
HMS Somerset, HMS St Albans, HMS Mersey, and RFA Tideforce were involved in operations to shadow several Russian vessels, including a surfaced submarine, as they transited the English Channel and the North Sea.
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According to the Royal Navy, the activity was part of coordinated NATO monitoring efforts, with British ships and aircraft maintaining close surveillance of the Russian group as it moved through waters near the UK.
HMS Mersey was activated multiple times between March 29 and April 7 to track vessels, including the frigate Admiral Grigorovich, the landing ship Aleksandr Shabalin, and the Kilo-class submarine Krasnodar. The patrol vessel operated alongside a Wildcat helicopter from 815 Naval Air Squadron and the tanker RFA Tideforce.
Protecting UK waters...
— Royal Navy (@RoyalNavy) April 9, 2026
The #RoyalNavy has completed ten days of focused operations closely monitoring Russian warships and a submarine in UK waters as part of coordinated NATO efforts.
Read more: https://t.co/PKOWn2YLEf pic.twitter.com/rbVh8gJ0TN
In a separate tasking, HMS Somerset intercepted the Udaloy-class destroyer Severomorsk and its accompanying oiler near the French coast before tracking the group through the Channel and into the North Sea using onboard sensors and a Merlin helicopter.
HMS St Albans later joined the operation as part of a planned handover, while Somerset prepared for an extended deployment in the North Atlantic focused on submarine tracking and the protection of critical undersea infrastructure.
The Royal Navy said the operation reflects a sustained increase in Russian naval activity near the UK in recent months, with British forces maintaining a high level of readiness to monitor and respond.
Lieutenant George Hage, executive officer of HMS Mersey, said the ship regularly operates to safeguard UK waters and track foreign naval movements.
“Our ability to provide a presence to monitor the Russian activity in UK water is no small feat especially with such an increase in activity over the last few months,” he said.
“We are very proud to be part of the Royal Navy’s commitment to the maritime security of the United Kingdom. Working with our NATO allies continues to highlight the teamwork and strength behind the NATO alliance.”
The activity was conducted under Operation Ceto, the UK’s standing mission focused on protecting its strategic deterrent and tracking submarine movements in the North Atlantic.
The Royal Navy added that cooperation with allied forces, including Belgian, French, and Dutch units, played a key role in maintaining continuous monitoring of Russian vessels throughout their transit.
Earlier, Russia conducted a covert submarine operation in waters near the United Kingdom that posed a potential threat to critical energy pipelines and data cables.
British and allied forces tracked a Russian Akula-class attack submarine along with two specialized deep-sea submarines linked to Moscow’s GUGI program for more than a month in the North Sea before the vessels withdrew.
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