British Navy intercepts and escorts Russian destroyer in English Channel
The British frigate HMS Duncan escorted the Russian Northern Fleet warship Vice Admiral Kulakov for more than two days as it passed through British waters.
According to Censor.NET, the Russian ship was moving through the English Channel towards the French coast. The frigate HMS Duncan was operating under NATO command and, together with a Wildcat helicopter, was monitoring the Russian ship's route, writes The Telegraph.
This operation was the first in which NATO forces, rather than solely the British navy, participated in tracking Russian ships in the region.
Europe fears Russia's shadow fleet
Meanwhile, the EU is increasingly concerned about Russia's shadow fleet, which the Kremlin could use for reconnaissance and hybrid attacks on critical European infrastructure.
Europe believes that these vessels can launch drones for espionage and pose a threat to the security of ports and airports.
British Deputy Defense Minister Alistair Carns said that the Royal Navy is "ready to respond to any actions by Russian vessels" and emphasized the strong support of NATO allies.
In addition, other Alliance countries are also stepping up their surveillance of Russian activity at sea. Sweden recently announced that it is tracking a Russian submarine in the Baltic Sea.
The shadow fleet of the Russian Federation
Currently, Putin's "shadow fleet" consists of about 1,400 vessels, which the Kremlin uses to circumvent Western sanctions and sell oil.
This was stated by EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas during a meeting of foreign ministers in Luxembourg. According to her, these ships not only help Russia earn money from fuel exports, but also pose a threat to the safety of shipping and the environment.
EU experts warn that part of this fleet could be used in hybrid operations—for example, to launch drones or for espionage.
There are suspicions that some of these vessels have already performed such tasks, particularly during recent incidents in Denmark, when drones temporarily shut down Copenhagen Airport.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called for the closure of sea routes to Russian tankers, which are used to launch drones into Europe.
