HMS Somerset Monitors Russian Corvette Boikiy in Three-Day Operation
The Royal Navy has released images of a Russian warship, the corvette Boikiy, which was tracked as it sailed near British waters.
The Russian vessel was part of a task group escorting the merchant ship Baltic Leader from Syria back to Russia. The Royal Navy’s Type 23 frigate HMS Somerset shadowed the warship for three days, closely monitoring its movements through the North Sea and English Channel.
Multi-Nation Surveillance Effort
The Royal Navy confirmed that NATO forces and patrol aircraft assisted in the operation, ensuring constant surveillance of the Russian convoy.
HMS Somerset deployed its sophisticated radar system to track the vessels, while a Merlin helicopter provided aerial reconnaissance.
The Russian warship crew were seen burning papers and manning the ship’s machine guns, raising suspicions over their activities.
Baltic Leader’s Controversial Cargo
The Baltic Leader was reportedly carrying military hardware from Russia’s naval base in Tartus, Syria. The merchant vessel has been under scrutiny since 2022, when the US imposed sanctions on it due to its links to Promsvyazbank, a Russian entity targeted after Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
Commander’s Statement
HMS Somerset’s Commanding Officer, Cdr Joel Roberts, said:
“Somerset is well-versed in the escort of Russian ships, having conducted these operations on a number of occasions. Great professionalism has been shown by the ship’s company to remain vigilant whilst operating in UK waters and integrating with our NATO allies to monitor Russian activity around Europe.
Increased Russian Naval Presence
This marks the second time this year that HMS Somerset has been deployed to monitor Russian naval movements near the UK.
Just two weeks ago, the Royal Navy tracked a convoy of five Russian ships, including three merchant vessels, traveling from Syria to a Russian Baltic port.
In January, Defence Secretary John Healey accused Russia of increasing aggressive naval activity, after the spy ship Yantar was spotted in British waters. Western intelligence believes that Russia is mapping undersea cables, raising concerns about the security of critical infrastructure.
Moscow has dismissed these allegations as “baseless.”
Growing Tensions
The UK and NATO have intensified surveillance on Russian naval operations in the Atlantic and European waters since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The Royal Navy remains on high alert, ready to respond to any potential threats posed by Russian military movements in the region.
