Royal Navy Monitoring of Russian Vessels Around UK Waters Rises 25%

The Royal Navy spent 21 days in July 2026 tracking Russian vessels around UK waters, a 25% year-on-year increase. The rise extends across the first seven months of 2026. Operations focused on shadowing Russian frigates escorting "shadow fleet" tankers — vessels used to move Russian oil outside Western price-cap mechanisms. The UK has sanctioned over 500 such vessels.