Russian frigate has been operating freely in the English Channel for months – The Telegraph
A Russian military frigate has been in the English Channel for an extended period without prompting any decisive action from the British military. According to The Telegraph, the situation is drawing attention amid the activity of Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet,” which continues to operate near the British coast despite London’s tough rhetoric regarding security in the region.
The Russian military frigate Admiral Grigorovich has been patrolling the waters off the coast of Great Britain for nearly two months and escorting tankers of the so-called Russian shadow fleet, despite London’s promises to increase pressure on Russian shipping.
According to The Telegraph, the ship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet has been spotted multiple times in the English Channel and off the east coast of England. According to British media reports, since April, the Admiral Grigorovich has escorted more than a dozen Russian tankers, support vessels, and one submarine through the waters around the United Kingdom.
At the same time, the Royal Navy did not carry out any interceptions, even though some of the Russian ship’s routes passed through British territorial waters.
The publication noted that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer had previously promised to take an “even tougher” stance against the Russian shadow fleet, but government sources acknowledged that any action against the tankers could lead to serious legal complications.
In addition, British authorities fear a possible maritime incident involving a well-armed Russian frigate. Moreover, military sources also complained that most of the monitoring work is being carried out by civilian sailors on support vessels due to a shortage of British military ships.
The publication i Paper also reported that a Russian support vessel was spotted near the Admiral Grigorovich, which could have been used to refuel the frigate at sea. The vessel was located near the Galloper wind farm, which supplies electricity to about 400,000 homes.
The reasons for the Russian Navy’s interest in this critical infrastructure facility remain unknown.
The Royal Navy stated that the Russian ship was under constant surveillance. It was monitored by the patrol ships HMS Tyne, HMS Mersey, and HMS Severn, as well as Wildcat helicopters and support vessels.
British Defense Minister John Healey had previously warned of increased Russian naval activity off the British coast. According to him, the activity of Russian military ships in the region has recently increased by approximately 30%.
Earlier, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius stated that Russia is engaging in aggressive actions against German space communications. In this regard, he called for increased investment in space infrastructure.
Recall that European Commission President von der Leyen commented for the first time on the incident involving the jamming of her plane’s GPS.
Also, in the first four months of 2025, more than 122,600 flights in northern Europe encountered jamming of GPS and other satellite systems.
