U.Ok. navy intercepts Russian corvette, tanker as Moscow steps up naval exercise

A U.Ok. patrol ship has intercepted a Russian corvette and a tanker after shadowing them by way of the English Channel, the Defence Ministry stated Sunday (November 23, 2025), including that Russian naval exercise round U.Ok. waters had elevated by 30 per cent over the previous two years.

In the course of the previous two weeks, the patrol ship HMS Severn intercepted the Russian corvette RFN Stoikiy and tanker Yelnya as they sailed by way of the English Channel, the Ministry stated. The Severn ultimately handed over monitoring duties to an unidentified NATO ally off the coast of Brittany.

Along with the ships stationed across the U.Ok. coast, Britain has deployed three Poseidon surveillance plane to Iceland as a part of a NATO mission patrolling for Russian ships and submarines within the North Atlantic and Arctic, the Ministry stated.

The information comes simply days after Defence Secretary John Healey informed reporters that the Russian spy ship Yantar had aimed lasers on the pilots of surveillance plane monitoring its actions off the coast of Scotland. Britain described the Yantar’s actions as “reckless and harmful,” including that Britain was prepared to answer any incursions into its territory.

“My message to Russia and to Putin is that this: We see you. We all know what you are doing,” Mr. Healey stated on Wednesday (November 19, 2025).

The Russian Embassy in London responded to Mr. Healey’s feedback by accusing the British authorities of “whipping up militaristic hysteria,” including that Moscow has little interest in undermining the U.Ok.’s safety.

Mr. Healey issued the warning as he made the case for elevated defence spending every week earlier than the federal government releases its new funds. Regardless that Prime Minister Keir Starmer has pledged huge army spending will increase in gentle of threats from Russia, China and Iran, the federal government is going through powerful commerce offs because it eyes tax will increase and spending cuts to shut a multi-billion-pound shortfall in its funds.