Royal Navy increases monitoring of Russian activity in UK waters
HMS Somerset returning to HM Naval Base Devonport on 7 August 2026 following a four-month deployment monitoring Russian surface and sub-surface activity in the North Atlantic. (Crown copyright)
The Royal Navy (RN) has stepped up its monitoring of Russian activity in UK waters in 2026, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has said. In a press release on 8 August 2026, the MoD said that “Royal Navy activations to monitor Russian activity is up 25% across the first seven months of the year compared to 2025.”
Over a period of 21 days in July 2026, the RN deployed one frigate and three offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) alongside maritime helicopters to monitor Russian activity in UK waters, the MoD said. Assets deployed included the Type 23-class frigate HMS Somerset (F 82) and the River Batch I-class OPVs HMS Tyne (P 281), HMS Severn (P 282), and HMS Mersey (P 283), alongside helicopters from 815 Naval Air Squadron (NAS) and 814 NAS.
The MoD outlined several instances of the RN's monitoring of Russian activity in July. On 20 July, Tyne monitored the Neustrashimiy-class frigate Neustrashimiy (772) from a range of five nautical miles while the frigate conducted gunnery exercises outside UK and French territorial waters, the MoD said. Tyne gathered intelligence during the exercise, monitoring the fall of shot, including rounds from the frigate's 100 mm and 30 mm guns, the MoD added.
Meanwhile, Severn monitored the Grigorovich-class frigate Admiral Grigorovich (494) as the latter transited between French island Ushant and Dover. From 23 to 26 July, Severn then monitored Neustrashimiy in the North Sea, taking over from Mersey
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