Overview

• The Royal Navy tracked Russian vessels on two distinct occasions in May 2025, conducting five-day operations in the Outer Hebrides and the English Channel to secure vital sea lanes.
• HMS Dragon monitored the intelligence-gathering ship Yuri Ivanov off the Outer Hebrides and launched a Merlin helicopter to collect surveillance data until the vessel turned north toward the Arctic.
• Minehunter HMS Ledbury intercepted the Steregushchiy-class corvette RFN Stoikiy in the Dover Strait, with HMS Hurworth assuming escort duties as the corvette met two merchant ships and headed into the North Sea.
• NATO ships and aircraft supported the operations following the Formidable Shield exercise, underscoring allied coordination in maritime security.
• Lawmakers have proposed establishing ‘shadow-free’ zones in British waters to protect coastal communities and marine ecosystems from Russia’s sanction-evading oil tankers.