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Maya Mehrara is a Information Reporter at Newsweek primarily based in London, U.Okay.. Her focus is reporting on worldwide information. She has coated Ukraine, Russia, immigration points, and the revolution in Iran. Maya joined Newsweek in 2024 from the Londoners and had beforehand written for MyLondon, the Camden New Journal, BUST Journal, and Washington Sq. Information. She is a graduate of New York College and obtained her NCTJ at Information Associates. Languages: English. You may get in contact with Maya by emailing m.mehrara@newsweek.com. 

Maya Mehrara
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John Feng is Newsweek’s contributing editor for Asia primarily based in Taichung, Taiwan. His focus is on East Asian politics. He has coated international coverage and protection issues, particularly in relation to U.S.-China ties and cross-strait relations between China and Taiwan. John joined Newsweek in 2020 after reporting in Central Europe and the UK. He’s a graduate of Nationwide Chengchi College in Taipei and SOAS, College of London. Languages: English and Chinese language. You may get in contact with John by emailing j.feng@newsweek.com

John Feng

Information Reporter

The British Royal Navy tracked a Russian warship escorting a cargo vessel by means of the English Channel and the North Sea throughout a three-day operation, based on the navy’s press launch.

Newsweek’s map beneath illustrates the cargo ship’s route from the Syrian port Tartus to the North Sea.

Newsweek reached out to the Ministry of Protection of the Russian Federation for remark through electronic mail outdoors of enterprise hours.

Why It Issues

NATO members have needed to monitor Russian sea exercise, primarily the Baltic Sea, resulting from elevated exercise because the struggle with Ukraine has escalated.

There are additionally rising tensions between the U.Okay. and Russia, as London has been one among Kyiv’s strongest supporters within the struggle with Moscow, and has begun to work with France on a peace plan to current to the U.S.

What To Know

The British Royal Navy stated that using its HMS Somerset, a British Kind 23 frigate, it accomplished a three-day operation monitoring a Russian warship escorting a cargo vessel.

The Russian ship below British surveillance, often known as the corvette Boikiy, was escorting the service provider vessel the Baltic Chief on its voyage from Syria by means of the English Channel and North Sea.

The crew on the warship escorting the cargo vessel was armed with machine weapons, based on the British newspaper The Instances. The cargo ship was reportedly transporting a cargo of army gear from the Russian naval base in Tartus, which is being evacuated after Moscow’s contract with Damascus was terminated.

The HMS Somerset labored along with UK patrol plane and allied NATO forces in the course of the operation, and the ship used its sensors and radars to report on Russian actions.

The British Royal Navy’s frigate additionally launched a Merlin helicopter from 814 Naval Air Squadron to determine invaluable data aerially.

The HMS Somerset started monitoring the corvette Boikiy on March 1, because the ship headed south to satisfy the Baltic Chief, to then escort the cargo ship again to Russia.

The Baltic Chief is a roll-on roll-off cargo ship owned by the Russian transport firm MG-Flot LLC (previously Transmorflot LLC), based on Ukraine’s Struggle Sanctions web site.

The cargo vessel was sanctioned by the U.S. in 2022 for transporting weapons for the Russian army, based on Reuters.

In-built 2000, the Baltic Chief is 126.86 meters (416 toes lengthy) and 20 meters (65 toes) extensive, based on MarineTraffic.com.

The British Royal Navy reportedly routinely screens any potential threats to nationwide safety by means of shadowing missions, generally surveying undersea cables or pipelines.

This occasion comes two weeks after the British Royal Navy utilized three ships to conduct a shadowing mission monitoring 5 Russian vessels as they sailed from Moscow’s Baltic port in Syria.

There have additionally been quite a few different situations during which the British Royal Navy has monitored Russian ships beforehand, together with the HMS Somerset‘s monitoring of the suspected Russian spy ship Yantar in January, and the navy’s monitoring of six Russian ships transporting ammunition from Syria in February.

What Individuals Are Saying

In a publish on X, previously often known as Twitter, the British Royal Navy wrote: “One other month, one other Russian job group saved below fixed Royal Navy surveillance passing the UK. @HMSSomerset and 814 NAS from @RNASCuldrose watched corvette Boikiy and cargo ship Baltic Chief by means of the Channel.”

Within the British Royal Navy’s press launch, Commander Joel Roberts, Commanding Officer of HMS Somerset stated: “Somerset is properly versed within the escort of Russian ships, having performed these operations on various events. Nice professionalism has been proven by the ship’s firm to stay vigilant while working in UK waters and integrating with our NATO Allies to observe Russian exercise round Europe.”

What Occurs Subsequent

It’s unknown presently if the British Royal Navy will increase its safety measures to proceed monitoring Russian exercise within the English Channel and the North Sea.

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