RAF spy plane buzzes Russian convoy loaded with weapons in Channel ahead of crucial peace talks in London
19 March 2025, 11:38
An Air Force spy plane has been forced to buzz a Russian warship in a tense showdown in the Channel.
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The dramatic meeting came ahead of crucial talks between military chiefs in London as world leaders work to achieve a ceasefire in Ukraine.
The Poseidon P-8A spy plane flew over the Russian Severomorsk destroyer as it led a convoy passed the cliffs of Dover.
Merlin and Wildcat helicopters and three Royal Navy warships were also present for this show of force.
Armed Forces Minister Luke Pollard said: "Russia should be in no doubt that the UK will defend our waters.”
The Russian convoy was returning from Syria to the Baltic, after it was forced to abandon its post in the wake of the fall of dictator Bashar al Assad was toppled by rebels last year.
This was the third mission of its kind undertaken by the Navy in the last six weeks.
The increase in intelligence missions comes as Russia “increases its activity in UK waters,” the Navy says.
The Navy added: “As the Russian ships sailed east through the Channel and the North Sea towards the Baltic Sea, the Royal Navy ships deployed powerful sensors and launched the Merlin and Wildcat helicopters to report on every move.”
According to the Royal Navy, the Russian destroyer was escorting two Kremlin cargo ships, stocked with weapons and ammunition retrieved from Syria.
The Navy tracked these ships from Land’s End to Dover in a bid to prevent any sabotage or covert activity from taking place.
The Navy added: “In the space of six weeks, the Royal Navy has shadowed three separate task groups returning from Syria.”
Armed Forced Minister Luke Pollard said: “National security is a foundation of the government’s plan for change and ensuring freedom of navigation contributes to our economy.”
This incident comes ahead of crucial ceasefire talks in London on Thursday, as military chiefs descend on England’s capital in a bid to force Russia into peace in Ukraine.
