Royal Navy warship tracks Russian submarine and ships passing through English Channel as armed forces minister warns of Kremlin ‘threat’ to UK

A Royal Navy warship tracked a Russian submarine and ships passing through the English channel as the armed forces minister warned of a Kremlin threat to the UK.

HMS Tyne was deployed as part of a NATO operation to shadow Russia’s submarine Krasnodar as it travelled back to the country from the Mediterranean.

Warships and aircraft were also sent to shadow a Russian task group in the English Channel in a concentrated effort on May 6.

The Royal Navy said HMS Tyne, a Wildcat helicopter from 815 Naval Air Squadron and RFA Tideforce reported on every move of corvette RFS Boikiy and three merchant vessels – Baltic Leader, Patria and Cebepa.

The Russian vessels were sailing through the channel on their way to a Russian Baltic port.

HMS Tyne is a patrol ship built to help protect UK waters, especially for things like fishing and it works with two sister ships ships, Mersey and Severn.

It is armed with a 20 mm cannon which can fire up to 450 rounds per minute as well as two general purpose machine guns. 

The Kilo class submarine, backbone of Russia’s undersea fleet, can be seen to the right of HMS Tyne above

An observer from 815 Naval Air Squadron tracks the Krasnodar from a Wildcat helicopter from the UK Carrier Strike Group

This close-up of the helicopter observer’s screen shows the Krasnodar in detail as the Royal Navy keep close track of it in the Atlantic, before it entered tthe Channel

Armed Forces minister Luke Pollard said: ‘The Royal Navy has once again demonstrated its readiness to secure UK waters and protect the public.

‘Our sailors acted swiftly and decisively to a potential Russian threat, and I pay tribute to their dedication, courage and professionalism.

‘National security is a foundation of the Government’s Plan for Change and we are giving our Armed Forces what they need to keep us secure home and strong abroad.’

HMS Tyne’s Operations Officer, Lieutenant Bailey Denyer said: ‘Activations like the one we’ve seen on this patrol to track Krasnodar are our bread and butter – defending UK sovereignty and that of our NATO allies is at the very heart of what the Royal Navy does.’

The patrol vessel intercepted Krasnodar as it entered the English Channel near the French coast.

It reported every move as the vessel made its eastward journey before handing over duties to allies as the submarine left UK waters.

HMS Tyne also kept an eye on Russian RFS Boikiy, top – one of a four-vessel task group that passed through the English Channel

HMS Tyne,top  right, escorting the Boikiy, left, through the Channel on its way to a home port

Earlier in its journey, Krasnodar was tracked by a Royal Navy Wildcat helicopter of 815 Naval Air Squadron deployed with the UK Carrier Strike Group (CSG) in the Atlantic.

Once responsibility for Krasnodar had been handed over, HMS Tyne was quickly back on new tasking to shadow Russian Steregushchiy-class corvette Boikiy as it headed westward from the Baltic Sea, through the busy Dover Strait.

Tyne and 815 Naval Air Squadron later monitored the corvette’s return journey to the Baltic alongside three merchant ships.

The warship has come back into service after maintenance and returns alongside her sister ships, HMS Mersey and Severn, at the forefront of operations protecting UK waters.