LONDON<\/p>\n
The UK navy has intercepted two Russian naval ships travelling through the English Channel, BBC reported on Sunday, citing the Defense Ministry.<\/p>\n
HMS Severn, a British patrol vessel, tracked the Russian corvette Stoikiy and the tanker Yelnya as they moved west through the narrow Dover Strait in recent weeks, according to the BBC.<\/p>\n
The ministry said HMS Severn later handed over monitoring duties to a NATO partner near the coast of Brittany in north-west France, but continued to watch the Russian ships \u201cfrom a distance\u201d and remained prepared \u201cto respond to any unexpected activity.\u201d<\/p>\n
The incident adds to a growing number of Russian naval movements near UK waters. Last week, Russian ship Yantar was spotted off Scotland and reportedly used lasers to disrupt Royal Air Force pilots who were monitoring it.<\/p>\n
UK Defense Secretary John Healey called the action \u201cdeeply dangerous\u201d and warned Russia and President Vladimir Putin: \u201cWe see you. We know what you\u2019re doing. We are ready.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said Russian vessel activity threatening UK waters had increased by 30% over the past two years and was part of wider \u201cRussian aggression right across the board\u201d affecting Europe, not only Ukraine.<\/p>\n
Last week, Healey also said that he had updated the Royal Navy\u2019s rules of engagement so that the UK could follow the Yantar more closely \u201cwhen it is in our wider waters.\u201d<\/p>\n
On Nov. 19, the Russian Embassy in the UK said in a statement it had “taken note of the latest provocative statements” by Healey, adding: “This time, the pretext was the activities of the Russian oceanographic research vessel Yantar operating in international waters.”<\/p>\n
“The British leadership\u2019s endless accusations and suspicions only cause a smile,” the statement continued. “Russia\u2019s actions do not impinge upon the interests of the United Kingdom, nor are they intended to undermine its security. We have no interest in British underwater communications.\u201d<\/p>\n
The statement urged the British side to \u201crefrain from taking destructive steps that would only aggravate the crisis on the European continent.”<\/p>\n