A UK Royal Navy patrol ship escorted a Russian training vessel through the English Channel on Christmas Eve, UK military officials confirmed on Thursday
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 26th December, 2019) A UK Royal Navy patrol ship escorted a Russian training vessel through the English Channel on Christmas Eve, UK military officials confirmed on Thursday.Earlier on Thursday, the Sky news broadcaster reported that the HMS Tyne, a Royal Navy warship, set sail to monitor the movements of a Russian Smolnyy-class training ship, dubbed the Perekop and attached to the Russian Baltic Fleet, which passed close to UK international waters.
The Royal Navy confirmed the HMS Tyne's two-day operation in a statement published later on Thursday.
"The Portsmouth-based ship was called upon to sail on Christmas Eve and keep watch on the Russian ship Smolnyy Perekov as it passed close to UK territorial waters on Christmas Day," the statement read.
The Royal Navy confirmed that the ship had returned to Portsmouth on Thursday and remains ready for further operations.
UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace praised the work of the Royal Navy crews who conducted operations during the Christmas holidays.
"I am grateful for the efforts of the crew of HMS Tyne, who have sailed on Christmas Eve, helping to safeguard or seas," Wallace said, as quoted in the statement.
In August, a Royal Navy patrol ship monitored Russian ship Vasily Bykov through UK waters in a similar incident. In October, the HMS Mersey vessel of the UK Royal Navy escorted a group of three ships of Russia's Baltic Fleet as they headed along the UK coast to the English Channel.
