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Royal Navy says there’s been massive surge in number of Russian warships in UK waters

Royal Navy warships and helicopters spent 21 days on operations monitoring Russian activity in UK waters and the North Atlantic throughout July ? a 25% increase in the last year, new figures released today show. HMS Somerset, HMS Tyne, HMS Mersey, and HMS Severn were all dispatched, alongside Wildcat helicopters from 815 Naval Air Squadron and Merlin submarine hunting aircraft, to report on the movements of warships and submarines throughout July. Russian frigate RFN Neustrashimy has repeatedly transited the UK?s area of responsibility to escort shadow fleet tankers within recognised traffic lanes, using up valuable operational capacity to constantly guard cargo. Overall, Royal Navy activations to monitor Russian activity is up 25% across the first seven months of the year compared to 2025. It comes after the UK interdicted a sanctioned shadow fleet oil tanker, Smyrtos, in the English Channel in June. The UK is a leader in tackling the shadow fleet, having already sanctioned more than 500 vessels, and Russia?s oil and gas revenues falling by 24% year-on-year in 2025. By disrupting the shadow fleet, the UK and international partners are directly bearing down on the resources sustaining Russia?s aggression in Ukraine and reducing its capacity to threaten security across Europe and beyond. Portsmouth-based HMS Tyne was on duty when Neustrashimy carried out gunnery firings outside of UK and French territorial waters on July 20. HMS Tyne moved to five nautical miles as the Russian warship fired her armaments, continuing to gather intelligence during the incident, observing the fall of shots fired from her weaponry, including around 20 different shots from main 100mm armament and 30mm battery. Lieutenant Commander Sam Fields, Commanding Officer of HMS Tyne said: ?Through sustained presence and close cooperation with allies, HMS Tyne was ideally suited to this task, providing reassurance and monitoring while enabling other Fleet units to continue their operational commitments.? For Type 23 frigate, HMS Somerset, her tasking was part of her four-month deployment monitoring surface and sub-surface activity in the North Atlantic, contributing to the UK?s standing operation to protect Britain?s nuclear deterrent and monitoring potential submarine activity. The Plymouth-based warship ? deployed with a powerful array of underwater sensors and with its embarked Merlin anti-submarine warfare helicopter from 814 Naval Air Squadron ? returned home yesterday (Friday, 7 August) having sailed more than 24,000 nautical miles across the North Atlantic. HMS Somerset?s Commanding Officer, Commander Matt Millyard said: ?This deployment demonstrates exactly what the Royal Navy exists to do, protect the UK and our allies from wherever our interests are threatened. ?I am immensely proud of every single member of the ship?s company for what we have achieved over the past four months. Whether it?s tracking submarines, working alongside NATO allies and the Carrier Strike Group, or maintaining the ship at exceptionally high readiness for so long, their professionalism and spirit has been outstanding. ?It is fantastic to bring the ship home after a highly successful deployment and reunite with our families.? Meanwhile, HMS Severn was twice activated in July to monitor Russian warships, shadowing RFN Admiral Grigorovich as the frigate sailed eastwards from the island of Ushant on the French coast to Dover. Following that, the patrol ship was dispatched on a three-day mission (July 23-26) to intercept and shadow Neustrashimy, taking over monitoring duties in the North Sea from HMS Mersey. Severn kept watch as Neustrashimy escorted shadow fleet tanker MV Vulkan from the Baltic, through the Dover Strait and towards Ushant. Severn and Mersey then handed over again as Neustrashimy made a westward voyage towards Dover once she had completed escorting the Vulkan. Lieutenant Commander Dom Jacobs, Executive Officer in Temporary Command of HMS Severn, said: ?I?m really proud of my ship?s company?s ability to adapt quickly to changes of tasking from Fleet Ready Escort to our training output as the Fleet Navigation Training Ship. ?This shows the versatility of my crew and the other OPVs to deliver a range of tasks demonstrating our continued relevance and operational value.? https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/
Naval operations tracking the vessels increased by 25% in July compared to last year (Picture: Ministry of Defence)

There has been a surge in the number of Russian ships in UK waters in the past year, the Royal Navy has warned.

Naval operations tracking the vessels increased by 25% in July compared to last year.

Offshore patrol vessels HMS Tyne, HMS Mersey and HMS Severn were deployed to monitor Neustrashimy and Admiral Grigorovich, which themselves were escorting ‘shadow fleet’ tankers in the Dover Strait and North Sea over the course of the month.

Russia uses its shadow fleet, a network of 700 ageing tankers, to dodge sanctions imposed by other countries on its oil exports and to help fund the war in Ukraine.

HMS Tyne also monitored the Neustrashimy as it conducted a live firing exercise on July 20 near British and French waters.

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Meanwhile, the frigate HMS Somerset and helicopters from the Navy’s Fleet Air Arm have been monitoring Russian activity in the North Atlantic.

This is part of a four-month Nato operation to find submarines in the area.

Somerset’s commanding officer, Commander Matt Millyard, said: ‘This deployment demonstrates exactly what the Royal Navy exists to do – protect the UK and our allies from wherever our interests are threatened.

‘I am immensely proud of every single member of the ship’s company for what we have achieved over the past four months.

‘It is fantastic to bring the ship home after a highly successful deployment and reunite with our families.’

Earlier this year, the Smyrtos tanker was seized by Royal Marines in June and boarded by British forces.

The captain of the ship, Ajay Pant, was charged for allegedly breaching international sanctions on Russian oil transport.

The MoD said in its annual report last month that Royal Navy vessels had been ‘activated’ some 116 times in the year to March 2026 to shadow 61 Russian warships and 28 merchant vessels, a 30% increase in Russian naval activity over the previous two years.

This also included operations to deter the spy ship Yantar that was spotted near undersea cables off Scotland in November 2025.

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