Royal Navy Intercepts Russian Warship and Tanker as Ministers Warn of Rising Threat Near UK Coast

The Royal Navy has intercepted and shadowed a Russian warship and tanker as they travelled through the Dover Strait, prompting fresh warnings from ministers about a rise in Russian naval activity close to the UK coast.

The Ministry of Defence confirmed that the patrol ship HMS Severn monitored the Russian corvette Stoikiy and the tanker Yelnya as they passed through the English Channel during what officials described as a period of heightened maritime vigilance.

HMS Severn Tracks Russian Corvette Stoikiy and Tanker Yelnya

HMS Severn was deployed to shadow the vessels as they entered the Dover Strait, one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.

According to the BBC, the patrol ship remained in close proximity as the two Russian vessels continued westwards through the English Channel towards the coast of Brittany.

Once the ships moved further into international waters, Severn handed monitoring duties to a NATO ally while continuing to track their movement at a distance.

The interception formed part of ongoing maritime security operations carried out by the UK and its allies in response to increased Russian naval presence along key European routes.

Officials noted that such movements, while legal under international maritime law, require monitoring to ensure the safety and security of UK waters and coastal infrastructure.

Ministers Issue Warning Over Surge in Russian Naval Movements

Defence Secretary John Healey said the UK government was taking the rise in Russian naval activity seriously.

In a message directed at Moscow, he said: 'We see you. We know what you're doing.' His comments follow Ministry of Defence assessments that Russian ship movements around the UK have increased by 30% over the past two years.

The Ministry of Defence said the frequency of Russian naval transits highlights the need for ongoing surveillance, adding that activity of this scale reinforces the importance of maintaining a strong maritime presence in areas close to the UK coastline.

Russia has dismissed concerns raised by Western governments, rejecting suggestions that its vessels are acting provocatively and accusing the UK of misrepresenting routine naval movements.

Russian Naval Activity Intensifies Near UK Coast

The interception comes amid an uptick in Russian naval deployments in waters stretching from the North Atlantic to the English Channel.

Defence analysts note that the increased presence includes both warships and support vessels, which often travel in pairs to maintain operational range during long-distance transits.

Earlier this year, the Royal Navy destroyer HMS Duncan shadowed the Russian destroyer Vice Admiral Kulakov as it passed through the Channel under allied command.

The rise in similar operations has strengthened calls for continued cooperation between the UK and its NATO partners to ensure the integrity of shared maritime routes.

Strategic Importance of Monitoring UK and NATO Waters

The English Channel remains a critical maritime corridor, carrying a significant portion of Europe's trade and hosting major undersea communication cables.

A sustained increase in Russian ship movements has heightened the need for coordinated monitoring among NATO members to protect infrastructure and maintain situational awareness.

Officials said the interception of Stoikiy and Yelnya illustrates how the UK and its allies respond collectively to ensure stability in key maritime regions.

Continuous shadowing operations allow NATO forces to track vessel behaviour, safeguard merchant traffic and support broader efforts to deter threats around European waters.

As the two Russian vessels move further from the UK coast, the Royal Navy continues its surveillance operations, with officials indicating that additional transits are expected in the coming months as part of wider patterns of Russian naval activity.