The Royal Navy has released images of a Russian warship which has been spotted in British waters.
Navy sources said the warship was spotted moving through the English Channel and North Sea this week as it accompanied a merchant vessel named Baltic Leader on a journey from Syria to Russia.
HMS Somerset, which has conducted similar operations involving Russian vessels in the past, ‘watched every move’ as the Boikiy warship moved through British waters, the Navy announced.
The Baltic Leader was reportedly transporting military hardware from a Russian naval base in Tartus, Syria, with crewmen on the accompanying warship spotted burning papers and manning the ship’s machine guns, the Times reports.
It is the latest in a series of weapons shipments between Syria and Russia which have crossed through British waters in recent years as the Kremlin seeks to move munitions from the Middle East to the frontlines in Ukraine.
Since the downfall of Bashar al-Assad’s government, Russia has been seeking to move its military hardware out of Syria, with the frequent trips between the two countries nicknamed the Syrian Express.
Although it is not known what cargo is onboard the Baltic Leader, satellite imagery shows heavy artillery guns on the dock waiting to be transported, along with vehicles and shipping containers.
Cdr Joel Roberts, head of the HMS Somerset, said: ‘Somerset is well-versed in the escort of Russian ships, having conducted these operations on a number of occasions.
‘Great professionalism has been shown by the ship’s company to remain vigilant whilst operating in UK waters and integrating with our Nato allies to monitor Russian activity around Europe.’
Joseph Byrne, senior analyst at the Open Source Centre, told the Times: ‘While it isn’t exactly clear what cargo the vessel is loading, Tartus is a port where Russia has been storing its military equipment, likely waiting for transport.
‘Since mid-February we have seen a number of Russian flagged cargo vessels sail from Syria into the Mediterranean and through the English Channel.
‘They have exhibited highly similar patterns of life, including switching off their transponders when entering Syrian waters and ports, not broadcasting their final destinations, and appearing to sail through the Channel with a military escort for protection.’
The incident is the second time Somerset has been used to track Russian activity off the British coast this year, after a suspected Russian spy ship named Yantar was accused of gathering intelligence and mapping the UK’s underwater infrastructure in January.
Defence Secretary John Healey told MPs the Yantar incident was ‘another example of growing Russian aggression,’ although his claims were dismissed as ‘absolutely baseless’ by the Russian Embassy in London.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.