HMS Argyll has monitored Russian vessels passing through the English Channel on their way to exercises outside of Irish waters.

A Royal Navy spokesperson said:

“As part of a unified response with our allies, the Royal Navy monitor the presence of Russian naval ships as they transit through the English Channel.”

The French military tweeted:

On 01/30, the high-seas patrol vessel Commander Blaison accompanied 2 frigates the Soobrazitelniy and the Stoykiy in the approaches. He then handed over to the frigate Argyll and the destroyer Roosevelt.”

What’s happening?

Russia is holding ‘live-fire’ naval exercises between February 3rd-8th off the Irish coast. Originally, the exercises were to be held 240km (150 miles) off southwestern Ireland – in international waters but within Ireland’s exclusive economic zone. The tweet below shows the original location.

Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney last week objected to the exercise:

“This isn’t a time to increase military activity and tension in the context of what’s happening with and in Ukraine. The fact that they are choosing to do it on the western borders, if you like, of the EU, off the Irish coast, is something that in our view is simply not welcome.”

British Maritime Patrol Aircraft operating off Irish coast

Russia’s embassy in Ireland on Saturday posted on Facebook saying the exercises would be relocated outside of the Irish economic zone “with the aim not to hinder fishing activities”.

George Allison
George has a degree in Cyber Security from Glasgow Caledonian University and has a keen interest in naval and cyber security matters and has appeared on national radio and television to discuss current events. George is on Twitter at @geoallison

7 COMMENTS

  1. Not so much an exercise as a very strategic statement – Russia getting a fleet out of the Baltic and into pole position in the SW Approxhes ahead of anything kicking off in the east.

    • The pieces on the Chess board have started to move especially too an area where Atlantic under water cables, and major shipping lanes converge

    •  The French spotted the two corvettes, calling them frigates, at the bottom of my little list of what has been identified so far. There will be others underwater but as the exercise starts tomorrow and runs for six days this is probably the surface element. Regulars here will be reassured that there is a tug included. The weather out there currently looks pretty good.

      CG Marshal Ustinov
      DD Vice-Admiral Kulakov
      FFG Admiral Kasatonov
      Seagoing Rescue Tug SB-406
      Medium seagoing tankers Vyazma and Kama
      Corvettes RFS 531 Soobrazitelny and RFS 545 Stoikiy

      Then there will be RuNaval Aviation and others.

      No cable cutter, sorry, I meant to say oceanic research ship, although the Russians are currently working on putting another into service. They will then have two, presumably one for the Pacific Fleet and one for the Northern Fleet, who cover the Atlantic.

      • Ah, just the man. Thanks J.

        If they are messing with the cables, which I doubt as this is just sabre rattling, why not use the submarine equipped for the task. Why use a ship?

        • I don’t know as the submarine would leave little evidence as opposed to a ship. Maybe, with the introduction of the Poseidon, they need more or more accurate seabed mapping and they both will be used in their official role.

  2. Let’s be honest! If the live-fire exercise is part of their chess game! and it gets hot? They will not be going home.

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