Royal Navy warns of surge in Russian naval activity near UK waters

The Royal Navy has warned of a significant increase in Russian naval activity near UK waters, having spent 21 days in July monitoring Moscow's vessels.

Naval operations to track Russian ships surged by 25 per cent in July compared to last year, with warships repeatedly traversing the Dover Strait and North Sea.

Offshore patrol vessels HMS Tyne, HMS Mersey and HMS Severn were deployed throughout the month to monitor Russian frigates Neustrashimy and Admiral Grigorovich, which are tasked with escorting so-called “shadow fleet” tankers.

Russia uses its ageing shadow fleet to evade international sanctions on its oil exports and help fund its war in Ukraine.

HMS Tyne was also tasked with monitoring the Neustrashimy as it carried out a live firing exercise outside British and French waters on July 20.

Another ship, the frigate HMS Somerset, has been involved in monitoring Russian activity in the North Atlantic as part of a four-month Nato deployment searching for submarines, alongside helicopters from the Navy’s Fleet Air Arm.

Somerset’s commanding officer, Commander Matt Millyard, said: “This deployment demonstrates exactly what the Royal Navy exists to do, protect the UK and our allies from 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.

It is fantastic to bring the ship home after a highly successful deployment and reunite with our families.”

The increase in Russian naval activity follows the seizure of the tanker Smyrtos by Royal Marines in June, the first time British troops have directly boarded a shadow fleet vessel.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said the diversion of Russian ships to escort shadow fleet vessels meant Russia was “using up valuable operational capacity to constantly guard cargo”.

Last month, the MoD said in its annual report that Royal Navy vessels had been “activated” 116 times in the year to March 2026, shadowing 61 Russian warships and 28 merchant vessels around the UK’s waters.

This reflected a 30 per cent increase in Russian naval activity over the previous two years, and included operations to deter the spy ship Yantar that was spotted near undersea cables off Scotland in November 2025.