A U.K. patrol ship has intercepted a Russian corvette and a tanker after shadowing them through the English Channel, the Defence Ministry said Sunday (November 23, 2025), adding that Russian naval activity around U.K. waters had increased by 30 per cent over the past two years.
During the past two weeks, the patrol ship HMS Severn intercepted the Russian corvette RFN Stoikiy and tanker Yelnya as they sailed through the English Channel, the Ministry said. The Severn eventually handed over monitoring duties to an unidentified NATO ally off the coast of Brittany.
U.K. says 'military options ready' as Russian ship uses lasers against RAF pilots
In addition to the ships stationed around the U.K. coast, Britain has deployed three Poseidon surveillance aircraft to Iceland as part of a NATO mission patrolling for Russian ships and submarines in the North Atlantic and Arctic, the Ministry said.
The news comes just days after Defence Secretary John Healey told reporters that the Russian spy ship Yantar had aimed lasers at the pilots of surveillance aircraft monitoring its activities off the coast of Scotland. Britain described the Yantar’s actions as “reckless and dangerous,” adding that Britain was ready to respond to any incursions into its territory.
