Three Royal Navy warships shadow a Russian Navy task force as it sails through waters close to Great Britain.
HMS Westminster, HMS Lancaster and HMS Richmond, all Type 23 frigates, tracked the Slava-class cruiser Marshal Ustinov as the Russian group headed home from the eastern Mediterranean after supporting the General’s invasion of Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin.
Marshal Ustinov was accompanied by the Udaloy-class destroyer, Vice Admiral Kulakov and the tanker Vyazma.
The cruiser is the sister ship of The Russian battleship Moscow was destroyedUkraine says it was sunk in a missile attack and Russia claims to have sunk in a storm after a fire exploded the ship’s ammunition depot.
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The patrol ship HMS Mersey also obscured the Russian military research vessel Akademik Ioffe on its southern voyage through the Dover shipping lanes and into the English Channel.
HMS Westminster’s commanding officer (CO), Commander Ed Moss-Ward, said: “Maritime security in the sea areas surrounding the UK is critical to prosperity and resilience. ours.
“The Royal Navy regularly engages escort warships in UK territorial waters and adjacent waters to ensure compliance with maritime law, deter malicious activity and protect their national interests. ta.
“The escorting of the Russian task group demonstrates that the Royal Navy is committed to maintaining maritime security and working with our NATO allies.”
Operations of the Royal Navy
HMS Lancaster, part of NATO’s rapid response task force in the Atlantic, obscured Russian ships from the Strait of Gibraltar to the Celtic Sea.
HMS Westminster was deployed from Portsmouth to intercept Russian ships in the Celtic Sea, where Marshal Ustinov was refueled by the tanker Vyazma.
HMS Richmond is watched on the English Channel.
HMS Westminster (pictured in front) view of the cruiser Marshal Ustinov
HMS Westminster monitors Russian frigate Vice Admiral Kulakov and oil tanker Vyazma during refueling operations
HMS Lancaster Commander Commander Tom Johnson said: “Working together allows NATO allies to respond quickly to security challenges and together deter potential aggressors.
“The personnel exchange adds to NATO’s cohesion and interoperability so that the alliance can respond quickly and effectively to any threat.
“The Lancaster team works exceptionally hard to ensure that we are always ready to respond to any immediate threat.”
