Over the past two days, the Royal Navy has successfully escorted five Russian ships through to the North Sea.
Patrol ship HMS Tyne led the operation, supported by the Dutch patrol ship Zr.Ms. Holland from the Koninklijke Marine (Royal Netherlands Navy).
A Dutch coast guard aircraft and an NH-90 maritime attack helicopter provided additional surveillance and support throughout the operation.
The Russian ships are believed to be returning to their home port after deployment in the Mediterranean Sea. Prior to reaching the North Ssa, the fleet was escorted by the Belgian patrol ship BNS Castor through the Belgian EEZ.
The Royal Navy frequently undertakes such missions to enforce maritime security and uphold international laws, which permit the right of free passage through these waters.
I expect we’ll see full coverage of this by the BBC???
I doubt the bbc care. They’re a disgrace.
I fear you are being a trifle optimistic, the only news for the next six weeks will be whichever of the tame talking heads can make the most stupid comment. Possibly up there with battleships in Scottish lochs.
Crabfat – If it happens regularly, which it does, then it’s not newsworthy, BBC, Sky, ITV or whoever.
Indeed there’s nothing in this article that I needed to read TBH, nothing unusual, nothing really happened, so just clickbait.
Why, it’s a regular occurrence, barely worth a mention.
Should have been stopped or even better sunk!
The Royal Navy far to soft on the Russians
Surely there must be an old WW2 Sea Mine one these Russian Boats could find ? I am sure Putin understands these terrible accidents do happen.
Easy enough, but obviously illegal, unless we were to formally declare war on Russia. No-one seems keen on that idea.
Sunk, Maybe not. However, we could implement international laws. Under the Laws of Seas Article 19 Innocent Passage, Russian ships could be prohibited sailing through the Channel. If I remember it states something like this; ships can be prohibited if a nation threatens or interferes with a coastal nation, carries out surveys, research or plays around with coastal infrastructure such as underwater cables etc.
It is not the full wording, but you get the idea, and Russia has threatened the UK and several other NATO/EU members. So just imagine if the NATO/EU nations decide that due to the constant threats from members of the Russian government that these nations ban all Russian ships from transit through their national waters. Or ban third party ships sailing under Russian charter.
Russia wants to be taken seriously, so lets take their words seriously. The results would be that the English Chanel, Baltic, Black Sea would be cut off, and the Med would be problimatic as they would have limited access. even now Russia is/was looking at rejigging their Baltic borders.
I know that Turkey could be a issue but I am sure with some careful wording that Article 5 could be implemented as a collective responce to Russian threats.
Not on your nelly, we ain’t got nothing to go to war with… Just pretend there not real and they will go away, treat them like a bad fart..
Lee, I said nothing about going to war. There is the law, Russia by making threats to lay waste to the UK with a nuclear tsunami or the same type of threats to other coastal nations within Europe. With that being the case then they are in breach of their rights to the Right of Innocent Passage through territorial waters the 12 mile limit. As a merchant or fishing vessels could be equipped with a launch tube for such a torpedeo as the Russian have said that they would use on the UK then either Russian ships would have to be prepared either to undergo technical inspections before they can enter British or NATO waters or be banned from entering.
The UK and EU coastal nations should bring the announcement at the UN so Russia would haave the right to explain to the UN that what they are saying they don’t mean or that European nations should believe what the Russians say.
Sometimes if you spout your mouth of you need to be called out. There is no trade blockade as such as Russia would still be able to import all their needs via ports on the White Sea and Pacific.
Very silly idea, we do the same all the time, and none of Russia’s actions have been in territorial waters, so still illegal for that reason too.
Article 5 isn’t remotely close to being triggered, you’ve got to be the victim of an armed attack, fooling around with cables in international waters is not an armed attack.
Possibly confiscate the ships
Disagree. Why escalate to that point? The Russians, to save face, would have to retaliate, and then we are in ww3. With a nuclear armed power. Happy then?
No thank you!
Too late, UK & US / NATO if you haven’t noticed have been fighting a proxy War with Russia for 2yrs? now.
The problem is that the UK rightly advocates for freedom of navigation around the World.
If we prevent or interfere with transit through the Channel on grounds of what a politician or statesman has said rather than the conduct of the transiting fleet, then China, for example, will easily find a retaliatory cause to justify its actions (against the Philippines say), perhaps the arming of Taiwan as a threat, or a comment by some luney US senator.
Then we lose the moral high ground in international waters, including the South China Sea.
I agree. I wasn’t the poster suggesting we sink them!
Fair enough, I meant to reply to the thread.
I’m not sure we could sink them in any case, at least as part of a routine escort job.
Of the two operational T45s, not that they house a viable anti ship capability in any case, I believe Duncan is relieving Diamond in the Gulf.
Typhoons wouldn’t get close enough.
I doubt it’s being tracked by a sub.
Wildcats I don’t know. Same with the stealth fighters.
Not that it matters but I totally agree, we know the story but we just pretend we are all friends… Come back winston.
What a silly comment
Does RN have a periodic presence in the Med?
Yes.
As ex Navy. The ships we have we want the locations hidden, its part of the strategy 😉
Until about 2020, escorting Russian warships through the English Channel was a task for the frigate designated as Fleet Ready Escort. The RN is now reduced to diverting one of its three OPV’s in UK waters from their primary EEZ, fishery protection and training duties.
Surely an OPV is intended for such duties in Offshore waters. Use of a frigate would be wasteful of resources, unless you wanted to send some sort of ‘tough guy’ message to Russia.
You are arguably right, but the optics of using an OPV to escort Russian frigates, destroyers, cruisers and even the Admiral Kuznetsov through the English Channel (i.e. the UK’s backyard) aren’t great. As I stated, until the late 2010’s this was a task for the FRE.
The next time a russian naval ship comes close to our shores we might be able to Russel up a rowing boat to escourt it!!
Don’t worry there will be a plan.
Contract escort duties out to the migrant smugglers. They have loads of boats.
These escort operations are nothing new.
No intelligent person trusts the Russians, but these things need to be handled delicately.
We know from the last ‘Warship’ documentary series that the Russians get up to all sorts of mischief like trying to cut communication cables. This is why the RN provides the escorts. To make sure the Russians behave themselves!
Who said this was new?
That is why some people on here think they should be kicked out… Winston style.
IRS what’s under the water that worries me.
It’s
These war ships need to be bard from sailing in UK waters due to the threats from Russia towards the UK..would stop russian rhetoric and bluster ..
This is the place to be if you like hyperbolic Russophobic silliness.