The Royal Navy spent 21 days in July shadowing Russian vessels as monitoring operations rose 25% year‑on‑year. Offshore patrol ships HMS Tyne, Mersey and Severn tracked Russian frigates thought to be escorting "shadow fleet" tankers used to evade sanctions. HMS Somerset took part in a four‑month NATO anti‑submarine deployment, and the MoD reported 116 vessel activations to March 2026. The report noted a 30% rise in Russian naval activity over two years and incidents including the Smyrtos seizure and the Yantar sighting.
Royal Navy Spent 21 Days Tracking Russian Ships as Monitoring Rises 25% in July
FILE PHOTO - Undated handout photo issued by the Ministry of Defence shows the Portsmouth-based Type 45 destroyer HMS Duncan (foreground) shadowing the Russian destroyer Vice Admiral Kulakov as it sails through UK waters in the English Channel. (is associated with: «Royal Navy spent 21 days monitoring Russian activity around UK waters») Royal Navy/Mod Crown Copyright/PA Media/dpa
The Royal Navy has warned of heightened Russian naval activity around UK waters after spending 21 days in July monitoring vessels from Moscow.
Increased Monitoring And Ship Deployments
Naval operations to track Russian movements rose by 25% in July compared with the previous year, with warships repeatedly transiting the Dover Strait and operating across the North Sea. Offshore patrol vessels HMS Tyne, HMS Mersey and HMS Severn were deployed throughout the month to shadow the Russian frigates Neustrashimy and Admiral Grigorovich, which have been escorting so‑called "shadow fleet" tankers.
Shadow Fleet And Sanctions Evasion
Russia uses an ageing "shadow fleet" of merchant tankers to try to evade international sanctions on its oil and to generate revenue for the war in Ukraine. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said diverting warships to escort those tankers forces Russia to "use up valuable operational capacity to constantly guard cargo."
Notable Incidents
On 20 July, HMS Tyne monitored Neustrashimy as the frigate carried out a live‑firing exercise outside British and French territorial waters. In June, Royal Marines boarded and seized the tanker Smyrtos — the first occasion British troops directly boarded a shadow fleet vessel.
NATO Deployment And Anti-Submarine Efforts
The frigate HMS Somerset has been active in the North Atlantic as part of a four‑month NATO deployment focused on submarine search operations, operating alongside helicopters from the Fleet Air Arm. Commander Matt Millyard, Somerset's commanding officer, said:
"This deployment demonstrates exactly what the Royal Navy exists to do: protect the UK and our allies wherever our interests are threatened. I am immensely proud of every single member of the ship's company for what we have achieved over the past four months."
MoD Reported Activity Levels
In its annual report, published last month, the MoD said Royal Navy vessels were "activated" 116 times in the year to March 2026, shadowing 61 Russian warships and 28 merchant vessels in and around UK waters. The report described a 30% rise in Russian naval activity over the previous two years and referenced operations to deter the spy ship Yantar, which was spotted near undersea cables off Scotland in November 2025.
Implications: The combination of increased shadowing, NATO anti-submarine deployments and direct actions such as the Smyrtos seizure underline a sustained period of maritime tension in and around UK waters, with resource implications for both the Royal Navy and NATO partners.
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