Overview

• The Royal Navy's HMS Somerset shadowed the Russian corvette Boikiy for three days as it escorted the cargo ship Baltic Leader through the English Channel and North Sea.
• The Baltic Leader was reportedly transporting military hardware from the Russian naval base in Tartus, Syria, to Russia, a route often referred to as the 'Syrian Express.'
• Crew aboard the Boikiy were observed burning papers and manning the ship's machine guns during the operation.
• HMS Somerset utilized advanced sensors, radars, and a Merlin helicopter to monitor the Russian vessels and coordinate with NATO allies for intelligence gathering.
• This marks the second recent instance of HMS Somerset monitoring Russian activity in UK waters, following its tracking of a suspected Russian spy ship in January.