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Russian Spy Ship Spotted Near UK Nuclear Submarine Base After Major NATO Drill
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![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
The British Royal Navy has deployed multiple warships and aircraft to monitor Russian naval movements near UK territorial waters, in what defense officials say is part of a growing pattern of military vigilance triggered by Russian maneuvers, the Royal Navy reported on May 29.
The operation—carried out in late May—comes just days after the conclusion of Formidable Shield, a major NATO air and missile defense exercise involving Western naval forces.
The Royal Navy confirmed that the air-defense destroyer HMS Dragon closely tracked the Russian intelligence-gathering ship Yuri Ivanov as it lingered off the coast of the Outer Hebrides in the North Atlantic. The vessel, designed for electronic surveillance and signal interception, was suspected of monitoring NATO activities in the wake of the exercise.
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“HMS Dragon monitored Russian intelligence-gathering ship Yuri Ivanov as it loitered in waters off the Outer Hebrides following the completion of major NATO exercise Formidable Shield that took place nearby,” the Royal Navy said.
The Portsmouth-based Type 45 destroyer deployed a Merlin Mk2 helicopter to enhance aerial surveillance and collect electronic intelligence, maintaining visual and radar contact until the Yuri Ivanov sailed north toward the Arctic.
The destroyer’s mission was aimed at safeguarding sensitive communications and military telemetry from NATO exercises.
The Yuri Ivanov belongs to Russia’s AGI (Auxiliary General Intelligence) class of vessels—platforms designed to intercept radar, communications, and other emissions during military drills.
Its presence so close to a recent NATO operation reinforces long-standing concerns about Moscow’s surveillance of allied training activities in the North Atlantic.
Meanwhile, a separate Royal Navy operation unfolded in the English Channel. HMS Ledbury, HMS Hurworth, and a Merlin helicopter from 814 Naval Air Squadron shadowed a Russian naval group led by the Steregushchiy-class corvette Stoikiy. The corvette was seen escorting two Russian merchant vessels, Sparta IV and General Skobelev, returning from the Mediterranean.
This five-day shadowing operation—spanning May 18 to May 22—began as HMS Ledbury monitored Stoikiy through the Dover Strait. HMS Hurworth later took over the mission near Brighton, keeping close watch as the Russian vessels met southwest of Land’s End. The group was tracked all the way into the North Sea.
“Escorting Russian vessels through UK waters is a vital demonstration of our unwavering commitment to national security,” said Lieutenant Commander Craig Clark, Commanding Officer of HMS Ledbury.
“Whilst the Hunt-class is uniquely equipped for mine and sea-bed warfare, maritime security remains a crucial task that any Royal Navy warship is trained to undertake.”
The operation coincided with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s announcement to raise UK defense spending to 2.5% of GDP, underlining London’s growing focus on Euro-Atlantic security in the face of ongoing tensions with Russia.
“Monitoring activity on the seas and seabed around the UK is one of the core roles of the Royal Navy’s 2nd Mine-Countermeasures Squadron,” said Lieutenant Commander James Bradshaw, CO of HMS Hurworth.
“We have kept a constant watch to ensure the security and integrity of the UK’s critical sea lanes.”
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The waters off the northwest coast of Scotland—including the Outer Hebrides—are increasingly viewed as a strategic flashpoint.
These maritime routes are not only key corridors for Russian Northern Fleet deployments but also home to undersea communication cables and the UK’s Faslane naval base, which houses its Vanguard-class submarines armed with Trident nuclear missiles.
Earlier, Russian Navy intelligence-gathering vessel, the Viktor Leonov, exited Irish-controlled waters after being monitored by the Irish Defense Forces for over 36 hours.
-21d0b63c17f6020e4df75f6c6f9a2f4f.jpg "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
