Portsmouth Royal Navy vessel tracks Russian Navy vessel through English Channel

A CLOSE eye was kept on a Russian warship on Christmas Day, as it passed through the English Channel.
HMS Tyne in Portsmouth. Picture: Crown CopyrightHMS Tyne in Portsmouth. Picture: Crown Copyright
HMS Tyne in Portsmouth. Picture: Crown Copyright

The Portsmouth-based Royal Navy vessel HMS Tyne shadowed the Russian vessel Smolnyy Perekov, as it passed close to UK waters yesterday.

The Smolnyy-class vessels, armed with twin turrets and two anti-aircraft guns, are used by the Russian navy for training.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

HMS Tyne remained at sea on Christmas Day to monitor the Russian ship, keeping track of its activity.

Commander Jon Browett, HMS Tyne’s commanding officer, said: ‘Leaving our families at this time of year is especially difficult, but national security doesn’t stop for Christmas and as one of the duty units over the festive period we had bags packed and were ready to go.

‘We had members of the ship’s company returning at short notice from all over the country and, hard as it is for those left at home, we are committed to keeping Britain safe all year round.‘Our families understand our role and undoubtedly make a tangible contribution to national security through their continued support.’

The ship’s company of HMS Tyne are among thousands of service personnel on active duty this Christmas, in operations all over the world.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

According to the navy, more than 3,500 Royal Navy, Royal Fleet Auxiliary, Royal Marines and Fleet Air Arm personnel are either on duty or at short notice to respond to events at home and abroad over the festive period.

Related topics:

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.