The two Russian ships tracked and intercepted by the patrol ship HMS Severn were the West German corvette Stoikiy, part of the Russian Navy, and the tanker Yelnya, a military supply ship that plays a large role in Russia's maritime logistics. Following their acquisition, HMS Severn later handed over monitoring duties to a NATO ally off the coast of Brittany, in north-west France, the Ministry of Defense said. It also added that the British ship “continued to observe from a distance and was ready to respond to any unexpected actions.”
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What two Russian ships were captured?
What did the UK Ministry of Defense say about Russia's actions?
How did the Russian embassy in London react?
What actions did the UK take in response to the Russian ships?
Ministry of Defense on Russia's actions: deeply dangerous
The events in the English Channel occurred just a few days after another dangerous incident involving a Russian vessel. On Wednesday, Defense Minister John Healey announced that the Russian spy ship Jantar was in the UK's exclusive economic zone and directed blinding lasers at Royal Air Force (RAF) fighter pilots patrolling the region.
John Healey called Yantar's actions “deeply dangerous” and warned Russia and its President Vladimir Putin: “We see you. We know what you're doing. We're ready.” He also stated that Russia's growing activity in British territorial waters is evidence of an increase in “Russian aggression across the board.”
The Russian embassy in London responded to the politician's comments, accusing the British government of “fomenting military hysteria”, adding that Moscow has no interest in undermining Britain's security.
The Ministry of Defense said that in addition to the ships patrolling the coast, Britain had sent three Poseidon reconnaissance planes to Iceland as part of a NATO mission patrolling Russian ships and submarines in the North Atlantic and Arctic.
