In 17 days this autumn the Royal Navy ran three operations against Russian ships around our coast. Announced together on Monday, they combine well.
First, the intelligence ship Viktor Leonov loitered off the Outer Hebrides, “closely monitoring Nato warships” during Exercise Strike Warrior. Merlin helicopters from Culdrose were flown up to Prestwick and tracked her for 10 days. Second, HMS Dauntless and the patrol ship HMS Tyne shadowed the Russian frigate Neustrashimy through the Channel as she escorted sanctioned cargo ships. Third, HMS Tyne sailed from North Shields to pick up the landing ship Aleksandr Shabalin, nursing a shadow-fleet vessel and a tug towards the Baltic, with an 815 Squadron Wildcat overhead.
