Another Russian Fleet Enters English Channel, Nato Vessels Shadowing Flotilla

The third fleet of Russian warships has entered the English Channel, following six other vessels that have now reached the Mediterranean via the English Channel.

In addition to these vessels, a pair of Steregushchiy class corvettes has also entered the Atlantic via the English channel, reported The Drive.

Maritime tracking data shows one of the support vessels in the fleet, the replenishment oiler Vyazma, was underway in the North Sea, off the east coast of England, apparently preparing to enter the channel. Vyazma is the only one in the fleet that has its Automatic Identification System transponder turned on.

The fleet includes the cruiser RFS Marshal Ustinov, destroyer RFS Vice Admiral Kulakov, frigate RFS Admiral Flota Kasatonov and support vessels. They were earlier spotted in the Barents sea, heading south along the Norwegian coast in the waters north of Finnmark.

The Russia Navy has been highly active recently as it conducts a series of naval exercises that involve 140 warships, 1,000 pieces of military equipment, 10,000 troops, and 60 aircraft in waters around Europe.

The movement of the warships also assumes significance as many think they might be headed to the Black Sea, which borders Ukraine, via the Meditteranean. Though there is no certanity on the vessels' ultimate destination, a position in the Black Sea would allow them to play a major role in any Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Danish warship HDMS Peter Willemoes, which is a part of the Nato Standing Maritime Group 1, is reportedly shadowing the Russian vessels. At one stage, the Danish vessel was "effectively in the path of the Russian flotilla," tracking data showed.

However, the report added that such data can be imprecise and the Nato vessel and Russian ships might have remained at a safe distance from each other. So far, there has been no complaint from the either side about the activities of the other. The Russian ships were earlier shadowed by the Norwegian Air Force.

The report added that the flotilla that entered the English channel is headed for the southwest coast of Ireland where Russia is scheduled to hold a live-fire drill.

The Russians had planned to hold the drills this week around 150 miles off the southwest coast of Ireland, but moved it outside the country's exclusive economic zone following protests from politicans and fishermen.

Russia is also holding separate drills in the Mediterranean, the northeastern Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, besides the North Sea near the British Isles and Scandinavia.