The UK Navy has intercepted a Russian corvette and tanker in the English Channel, as the Ministry of Defence reports a 30% rise in Russian naval activity around British waters over the past two years. HMS Severn shadowed the vessels before handing over monitoring duties to a NATO ally off Brittany. The UK has also deployed Poseidon surveillance aircraft to Iceland as part of a wider NATO mission.
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00:00I have changed the Navy's rules of engagement so that we can follow more closely, monitor more closely the activities of the Yantar when it's in our wider waters.
00:16We have military options ready should the Yantar change course.
00:25The UK Navy confirmed it intercepted a Russian Corvette and a tanker moving through the English Channel.
00:36The British Ministry of Defence says Russian naval activity around the UK has increased by 30% over the past two years.
00:43A trend officials are watching with growing concern.
00:46According to the Defence Ministry, the interception took place within the past two weeks.
00:51The Royal Navy patrol ship HMS-7 shadowed the Russian Corvette RFN Stoiki and the tanker Yelnya as they moved through the Channel.
01:02After following the vessels closely, HMS-7 eventually handed over monitoring duties to a NATO ally off the coast of Brittany.
01:10Officials say these coordinated handovers are routine and part of a broader NATO effort to track Russian naval movements across shared waters.
01:18Russian naval activity in and around UK waters has risen by 30% over the past two years.
01:27The Royal Navy continues to respond robustly alongside our NATO partners.
01:32Beyond the Channel, Britain has also stepped up its own surveillance posture.
01:36The Ministry of Defence says three Poseidon P-8 surveillance aircraft have been deployed to Iceland as part of a NATO mission focused on tracking Russian ships and submarines in the North Atlantic and Arctic.
01:48This latest episode follows a far more contentious incident earlier this month.
01:53UK Defence Secretary John Healy accused the Russian spy ship Yantar of aiming lasers at the pilots of British surveillance aircraft monitoring the vessel off Scotland's coast.
02:03As I speak, a Russian spy ship, the Yantar, is on the edge of UK waters north of Scotland, having entered the UK's wider waters over the last few weeks.
02:17This is a vessel designed for gathering intelligence and mapping our undersea cables.
02:24We deployed a Royal Navy frigate and RAF P-8 planes to monitor and track this vessel's every move, during which the Yantar directed lasers at our pilots.
02:39That Russian action is deeply dangerous.
02:42And this is the second time this year that this ship, the Yantar, has deployed to UK waters.
02:49So my message to Russia and to Putin is this.
02:55We see you.
02:57We know what you're doing.
02:59And if the Yantar travels south this week, we are ready.
03:02The Russian embassy in London pushed back strongly, accusing the British government of escalating tensions unnecessarily.
03:12In its official response, Moscow said the UK was whipping up militaristic hysteria and insisted Russia has no interest in undermining Britain's security.
03:20The British government continues to whip up militaristic hysteria.
03:28Russia has no intention of threatening the security of the United Kingdom.
03:32The exchange also comes at a politically sensitive moment in London.
03:36Defence Secretary Healy has been advocating for increased military spending, warning that threats from Russia, China and Iran require stronger investment in defence.
03:46But with a major budget announcement just a week away, the government faces difficult financial choices.
03:53Prime Minister Keir Starmer has promised significant increases in military funding, yet the UK is also dealing with tax pressures, potential spending cuts and a multi-billion pound budget shortfall.
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