Royal Navy attempts to track Russian submarine through Channel

The hunt for the Novorossiysk began in early September, when the Canadian warship HMCS Shawinigan escorted the submarine and its support vessel as they sailed from the Baltic to the North Sea.

The Canadian patrol ship handed over control duties to the Royal Navy as the Russian ships approached the busy Strait of Dover.

From there, HMS Iron Duke provided constant surveillance of the two ships, using its Wildcat helicopter and 815 Naval Air Squadron. The submarine remained on the surface throughout the operation.

HMS Iron Duke then began shadowing two other ships – the Steregushchiy-class corvette Stoiky and the tanker MT Yaz – in the North Sea off Dover, before handing over surveillance duties to the patrol ship HMS Tyne off north-west France.

The voyages of the Russian ships are permitted under international law, in accordance with the right of innocent passage.

Cdr David Armstrong, Commanding Officer of HMS Iron Duke, said: “I am extremely proud of the professionalism and selfless dedication that my ship’s crew consistently demonstrate in carrying out their duties.

“Maritime security operations of this nature are a fundamental capability of the Royal Navy, with the protection of our sovereign waters and critical national infrastructure a key focus.”

In a separate incident on Wednesday, two RAF Typhoons were sent from RAF Lossiemouth, supported by a Voyager from RAF Brize Norton, to intercept two Russian Bear F aircraft.

John Healey, the Defence Secretary, praised the actions of both the Royal Navy and the RAF during the operations.

He said: “This Government is committed to making the UK safe at home and strong abroad. The efforts of the Royal Navy and RAF over the past two weeks demonstrate their selfless dedication to protecting our national security.

“I would like to thank the members of our armed forces who participated in this operation. Their professionalism and skills were fully demonstrated in their seamless cooperation with our NATO allies to uphold international standards.”