Royal Navy: Russian ship stalked in North Sea by HMS Richmond as force monitors Vladimir Putin's military

HMS Richmond kept constant watch on Russian frigate Admiral Grigorovich. She maintained constant contact with the warship while tracking her.

The Type 23 frigate was Stavanger, Norway, for NATO trials and training when she was deployed to stalk Vladimir Putin’s ship. Commanding Officer Commander Chris L’Amie said: “The English Channel is one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes. Close monitoring and shadowing of Russian warships in UK waters and adjacent sea areas encourages their compliance with maritime law and deters malign activity.

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"By maintaining a visible and persistent presence, the Royal Navy is demonstrating our steadfast commitment to the NATO alliance and maintaining maritime security, which is crucial to our national interests.” The Russian ship was shadowed as it sailed into the Dover Strait and headed toward the Mediterranean Sea.

HMS Richmond, with her 85-strong crew, had to contend with choppy conditions in the wake of Storm Ciarán. The Royal Navy regularly keep their beady eyes on the Russian military.

SEE ALSO: HMS Tyne stalks Russian ships

This summer, Portsmouth-based warship HMS Tyne shadowed three of Vladimir Putin’s prized vessels on separate tasks. These include Merkury, a Steregushchiy-class corvette and research ship Akademik Nikolaj Strakhov.

As previously reported in The News, Baroness Annabel Goldie, Minister of State for defence, confirmed the number of Russian ships that ventured into national waters in 2021 and 2022. In 2021, 66 ships were shadowed in UK waters, with 41 being monitored in 2022.

Several Russian submarines were also tracked during this period.