UK Steps Up North Atlantic Patrols as Navy Shadows Russian Ships, Cites Laser and GPS Interference

Overview

• HMS Severn conducted round-the-clock tracking of Russian corvette Stoikiy and tanker Yelnya through the Dover Strait and English Channel before handing off to a NATO ally off Brittany.
• HMS Somerset shadowed the Russian ship Yantar from Nov. 5–11 as RAF P-8 crews reported laser illumination and nearby vessels experienced GPS disruption believed to be linked to the ship.
• The Royal Navy said Somerset’s combat systems were unaffected by the reported jamming during the surveillance of Yantar.
• Three RAF P-8 Poseidon aircraft have deployed to Keflavik, Iceland in the largest overseas deployment of the UK P-8 fleet to patrol the North Atlantic and Arctic with allied partners.
• Defense Secretary John Healey condemned Yantar’s actions and warned Russia, as the MOD reported a 30% rise in Russian vessels threatening UK waters over two years and described Yantar as an intelligence-gathering platform.