The UK Royal Navy’s (RN) Duke-class or Type 23 frigate HMS Portland is monitoring the movement of Russian Navy ships in the North Sea region.
According to the RN, the Russian vessels sailing in the sea are guided-missile frigate Admiral Gorshkov along with a tanker ship Kama.
Go deeper with GlobalData
The RN Duke-class frigate along with a Norwegian Coast Guard vessel Bergen tracked the two vessels, as they sailed towards south through the Norwegian Sea in the international waters close to the UK.
A RN’s Merlin helicopter onboard HMS Portland also supported the operation to report the Russian vessels’ movement.
HMS Portland commanding officer commander Ed Moss-Ward said: “Escorting warships in UK territorial waters and the adjacent sea areas is routine activity for the Royal Navy.
“By maintaining a visible and persistent presence, the Royal Navy ensures compliance with maritime law and deters malign activity to protect our nation’s interests.
“Escorting the Russian task group alongside forces from our Nato allies has demonstrated the UK’s commitment to the alliance and to maintaining maritime security.”
HMS Portland undertook the current patrol operation last week after the ship departed its home base in Plymouth on 7 January.
The latest incident comes a few days after Russia confirmed that its warship has been deployed on a long-distance naval mission on 4 January.
Equipped with sea-based Zircon hypersonic missile system, the Russian frigate Admiral Gorshkov features various of advanced capabilities to counter both sea and land-based targets.
According to Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, the primary objective of Admiral Gorshkov’s mission is to counter any maritime threats to Russia, while maintaining peace and security in the region.
On 10 January, Admiral Gorshkov’s crew also performed air defence exercises in the Norwegian Sea.
