Kathrine Frich
Concerns over escalating confrontation between London and Moscow have grown as Russian naval activity intensifies around the British Isles.
Defence officials now warn that repeated close encounters at sea risk blurring the line between deterrence and conflict.
With the Royal Navy on constant alert, questions are mounting over whether the UK is already facing the early stages of a maritime standoff with Russia.
Rising tension at sea
According to The Mirror, the latest flashpoint involves the intelligence-gathering ship Yantar, which the Ministry of Defence says directed lasers at RAF pilots flying over the North Atlantic.
Defence Secretary John Healey called it part of a “new era of threat,” pointing to Yantar’s earlier presence above North Sea cables that carry most UK digital traffic.
Security analysts interviewed by the outlet say the ship’s behaviour fits a broader Russian campaign of “hybrid warfare”, probing UK defences while keeping activity technically within international waters.
1. Yuri Ivanov
In May, Type 45 destroyer HMS Dragon shadowed the intelligence ship Yuri Ivanov as it lingered off the Outer Hebrides during NATO’s Formidable Shield exercise.
A Merlin helicopter was deployed to gather data on the ship before it moved north toward the Arctic.
2. Severomorsk group
Earlier this year, HMS Somerset, minehunter HMS Cattistock, RFA Tidesurge and Royal Navy helicopters tracked the destroyer Severomorsk and accompanying vessels Alexander Shabalin,
Sparta IV and Siyanie Severa as they returned from Syria through the English Channel.
3. Boikiy
That same month, the corvette Boikiy escorted a cargo vessel suspected of transporting weapons for the war in Ukraine.
Crew members were seen wearing military fatigues and manning machine guns as they crossed the Channel.
4. Admiral Golovko
The frigate Admiral Golovko has been monitored at least twice in the past year.
In April, HMS St Albans and a Merlin helicopter tailed the ship as it moved through the English Channel.
5. Admiral Vladimirsky
In March, minehunter HMS Cattistock and a Wildcat helicopter tracked the ageing survey ship Admiral Vladimirsky, which Western officials have long suspected of participating in covert intelligence missions.
6. Stoikiy
Also in May, HMS Ledbury, HMS Hurworth and 814 Naval Air Squadron followed the warship Stoikiy as it sailed west through the Channel to meet merchant vessels returning from the Mediterranean.
7. Neustrashimy
Two months ago, Plymouth-based HMS Iron Duke and a Wildcat jet shadowed the frigate Neustrashimy and cargo ship Sparta IV during their passage toward northwestern France.
8. Admiral Grigorovich
The guided-missile frigate Admiral Grigorovich has been intercepted multiple times.
HMS Defender monitored it in 2023, and in June this year HMS Trent and naval helicopters tracked it as it moved from Gibraltar into the Channel and the North Sea.
9. Yantar
Long considered one of Moscow’s most concerning vessels, Yantar continues to operate just outside UK waters.
Officials fear it could tamper with critical seabed infrastructure, a capability Russia has invested in heavily.
