UK intercepts Russian spy ship monitoring NATO military exercises
British helicopters tracked a Russian intelligence ship, Viktor Leonov, as it was "closely monitoring" NATO military drills off the coast of Scotland, the Royal Navy said.
The U.K. Royal Navy has intercepted a Russian intelligence ship, the Viktor Leonov, as it monitored NATO military exercises off the coast of Scotland between September 29 and October 8, according to a report by Kyiv Independent. The Royal Navy's Merlin helicopters tracked the Vishnya-class intelligence-gathering ship as it sailed near the Outer Hebrides, observing NATO warships participating in the Exercise Strike Warrior drills involving 2,000 personnel from six nations.
Additionally, the frigate Neustrashimy was intercepted by HMS Dauntless and HMS Tyne while escorting sanctioned cargo ships through the English Channel in October. The Royal Navy attributes this increased activity to Russia's reliance on naval escorts for its shadow fleet vessels, as European governments have begun intercepting tankers Russia uses to evade sanctions.
Brief written by urgent.news from Kyiv Independent's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
