A Russian cargo vessel, the Sinegorsk, was escorted out of UK waters by a Royal Navy Wildcat attack helicopter after it anchored less than a mile off the coast of Somerset, near sensitive undersea telecommunications infrastructure. The incident has raised significant national security concerns.
The ship dropped anchor on Tuesday, January 27, in close proximity to critical cables linking the UK with the US, Canada, Spain, and Portugal. While the vessel claimed it was conducting "essential safety repairs," its positioning near vital infrastructure was deemed suspicious.
In response, the Royal Navy deployed the helicopter to monitor the situation before escorting the Sinegorsk back into international waters on Wednesday afternoon. Shadow Security Minister Alicia Kearns labeled the ship's movements "deeply suspicious," echoing broader warnings about Kremlin-linked threats.
This incident follows a pattern of concerning Russian maritime activity. Earlier this month, a sanctioned Russian tanker transited the English Channel under a false identity. Security analysts have warned that Europe faces growing exposure to state-linked maritime threats, including covert operations near key infrastructure.
Rachel Ellehuus of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) noted that such activity, alongside disinformation and drone operations, should be expected. Russia is estimated to operate a large "shadow fleet" of tankers that frequently disable tracking and use false flags to evade sanctions.
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