LONDON — The British Royal Navy and RAF conducted a sustained series of operations during September and October 2026 to monitor and intercept Russian naval vessels in UK waters, reflecting heightened concerns over Moscow's maritime activity and sanctions evasion tactics.
From Sept. 29 to Oct. 8, Merlin helicopters tracked the Vishnya-class intelligence ship Viktor Leonov as it operated near the Outer Hebrides while NATO forces conducted Exercise Strike Warrior off the coast of Scotland. The exercise involved approximately 2,000 personnel from six nations. The Royal Navy stated the vessel was "closely monitoring" the drills.
Concurrently, HMS Dauntless and patrol ship HMS Tyne monitored the RFS Neustrashimy frigate as it escorted sanctioned shipping through the English Channel between Oct. 1 and 14. The Neustrashimy, which has spent much of the summer operating in the Channel and North Sea, appears to have been retained in the area specifically to protect Russian-linked merchant traffic. The RAF deployed its Protector RG1 remotely piloted aircraft operationally in UK airspace for the first time during these operations, providing more than 10 hours of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance support over the English Channel.
A separate operation from Oct. 11 to 14 saw HMS Tyne intercept the Ropucha-class landing ship RFN Aleksandr Shabalin. The Soviet-built vessel was escorting the cargo ship MV Energy-2 and tugboat Proton toward the Baltic Sea. The Shabalin was observed with cope cages and netting covering parts of the ship, reportedly to protect against Ukrainian aerial drone attacks.
The operations follow the June 2026 boarding and detention of the sanctioned shadow fleet tanker MV Smyrtos by Royal Marine Commandos and National Crime Agency officers in the English Channel. The UK has sanctioned more than 500 vessels as part of its campaign against Russia's shadow fleet. As of May 2026, the Ukrainian government register had identified 1,404 vessels as part of that fleet. The MV Smyrtos remains anchored off Portland with approximately 100,000 tonnes of crude oil aboard, four months after its seizure.
Royal Navy data shows a 25% increase in vessel activations monitoring Russian movements during the first seven months of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025. In the 2025-26 financial year, RN vessels were activated 116 times under Operation ADDISON, monitoring 61 Russian warships and 28 merchant vessels around UK waters.
Western security officials note that Russian hybrid warfare tactics have evolved to include maritime espionage, commercial supply-line escorts and deniable sabotage, operating below the threshold of open conflict. The increased operational tempo reflects the challenges of monitoring these activities while maintaining maritime security in the region.
