British Navy warship escorts Russian naval convoy through English Channel

The British Royal Navy frigate Sutherland Saturday escorted a Russian convoy, including two warships, as they sailed through the English Channel.

The type 23 frigate located the two Russian ships in the early hours of Friday morning as they sailed through the North Sea towards the Dover Straits.

The Steregushchiy-class corvettes, Soobrazitelny and Boiky, were joined later in the afternoon by a Russian support tanker and an ocean-going tug.

The Ministry of Defense (MOD) in London said HMS Sutherland will continue to monitor the movements of the ships as they pass close to British territorial waters.

Defense Secretary Sir Michael Fallon said: "HMS Sutherland is carefully marking these Russian ships as they pass close to UK waters. The Royal Navy maintains a vigilant watch and is always ready to keep Britain safe."

An MOD spokesman said: "Royal Navy sailors on the frigate keep watch on every movement of the ships, using state-of-the-art radars to track the course and speed of the ships as they pass close to the UK."

Ships in the channel's shipping lanes at the narrowest point are less than 20 kilometers from the British coast.

Commander Andrew Canale, the Commanding Officer of HMS Sutherland, said: "It is vitally important the Royal Navy demonstrates its presence and commitment to the integrity of UK territorial waters as we work around the clock to secure the seas of our island nation."

The commander added that "As a high-readiness unit, HMS Sutherland may be called upon at any time to help prevent arms trafficking, people smuggling, conduct counter-terrorism operations, maritime search and rescue, or escort duties like those it is undertaking today." Endit