HMS Mersey has shadowed Russian naval tanker Akademik Pashin through the English Channel.

The Royal Navy say here that following HMS Portland’s recent tracking of two Russian submarines in the UK’s area of interest, Portsmouth-based patrol ship HMS Mersey was called upon to monitor the movements of the Pashin from the North Sea, through the Dover Strait and down the leg of the Channel towards the open waters of the North Atlantic.

“The oiler is the first tanker built for the Russian Navy since the end of the Cold War, supplying the ships of the Northern Fleet with the fuel they need to sustain operations.”

Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Commander James Mitchell, was quoted as saying:

“It has been a team effort, working with our NATO partners monitoring the movements of Russian vessels through the North Sea and English Channel. Whilst most of the UK has been enjoying a record summer of warm weather, Mersey is just one of a number of Royal Naval vessels maintaining a continuous presence at sea, protecting UK interests.”

The Pashin has continued her voyage into the Atlantic, while HMS Mersey has resumed her patrols of home waters.

The Royal Navy added:

“With her sister patrol ships HMS Tyne and Severn, she provides the Royal Navy with a constant presence in UK waters and environs, monitoring contacts of interest, keeping an eye out for illegal activities, and ready to support the Marine Management Organisation to ensure fishermen of all nationalities stick within the rules and quotas when trawling in our fishing grounds.”

Tom Dunlop
Tom Dunlop
Tom has spent the last 13 years working in the defence industry, specifically military and commercial shipbuilding. His work has taken him around Europe and the Far East, he is currently based in Scotland.

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40 COMMENTS

  1. For a tanker heading away from her home port, she seems awfully high in the water. Next stop Spain for our NATO allies to fill her with fuel?

    • Looks like she is either heading for Syria, or perhaps more likely given her apparently running empty, a Black Sea port of Russia.

      • As far as I understand it, as she’s assigned to the Northern Fleet then she won’t be able to pass through the Bosphorus Strait at the moment?

        From what I understand, the only current reason warships can pass through is if their home base is within the Black Sea. That may have changed though.

        • She is not classified as a warship so she can pass through the Bosporus. In terms of warships, home port is irrelevant, Turkey is only allowing her warships through.

          • Well with the recent performance of the rapist navy they don’t seem to have any warships, just targets!

          • Maybe not a warship specifically but she’s a Russian Naval vessel so, I think would still come under the ban anyway.

          • No, it is technically a civilian ship just as RFA vessels are and so is not subject to those terms of the Montreux Convention.

          • Its also allowing British, American and other warships through. It’s only banned Russian and Ukrainian warships, as these are belligerent powers. This is in line with the Montreux Convention, where Turkey retains the right to block access through the Straits for any powers currently in a state of war with another Black Sea country.

  6. Slight off topic, but I’ve read that the Russians have revealed a couple of new projects (regards ships)
    Ones a new assault ship and the other is the latest iteration of their Project 22350. Just wondering if due to all the sanctions will they ever get off the ground

    • Hi Farouk,

      Not sure any of them would get off the ground given that Russian shipyards seem to struggle to build large warships at the moment. We’ve seen a few new big ship models in recent years, but nothing appears to have been built.

      Cheers CR

    • They do love creating models but the only surface ships they have built since the end of the USSR are Around 6 frigates in the 3500, to 5500 ton range.

      They have only managed to built 33% of the planned frigates and 20% of the planned corvettes from their 2000 onward plans.

      russia in reality is heading towards being a green water navy.

        • lol I’m pretty sure only women could see such a colour, men can only see dark Blue, blue, light blue, light green, green, dark green.

        • Well it’s still got some blue water capability, but that is all soviet capability, the last of Gorshkovs blue water navy is now at the end of its life and Russia’s navy will be a regional frigate based navy with an SSN capability when those last ships rot.

          But the question is does that really matter to Russia (apart from for pride) this is a land that spans a continent from the seas of Northern Europe, the Black Sea and the Pacific. It as a green water navy still impact on any area it needs to. If there is any nation that really only needs a frigate and SSN fleet I would say it’s russia.

    • Hi Farouk, it’d be nice to see some visuals on our own T32 and T83’s. Probably still too early but sure hope some “good stuff”is going on as we speak.

    • Well… IF… they subjugate Ukraine it’s a candidate, if not, then no – Ukraine supplied the power propulsion systems for their boats. Oh dear, how sad, never mind.

    • Russian naval shipyards seem to be great at building models not so good with the actual ships.

      They’ve been carting around the model of their new carrier for a few years at this point, Project 23000E if i remember correctly.

  7. mighty warship/….not a multi million lump of rubbish built to measure manuels fishing net sizes, we should sell them for £250 mill and build another T31

  8. Sorry, I’ve been at the Pussers again. Exaxtlty the right RN ship to escort a tanker past Brishtish waters, something inexpensive and grey. why anyone would wont a 500 million pound ship to escort Russian worships is beyond me,
    Hic. AA

    • Yeah literally the right ship. Even if it was a Russian frigate i would argue a patrol vessel is still a good tasking. All they need to do is have constant eyes on and or camera see if they dropping drones/sonar equipment into the water or just doing anything bad. They aren’t there to be used as a threat they can sink them. can use (well technically we can’t but soon hopefully) aircraft to sink her if need be.

  9. With the 20mm cannons being withdrawn from RN service, I think next year, will these River’s and any other vessels get up-armed to the 30mm or even down-armed to 12.5mm? 😁

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