"Patrol ship HMS Mersey and a Wildcat helicopter from RNAS Yeovilton were dispatched to follow the progress of three Russian warships/vessels as they made their way up the Channel," the statement read.
The crew of Alexander Otrakovsky, the Russian Ropucha-class landing ship, is currently preparing to sail in unfavorable weather conditions of the North Sea, a spokesman of the Russian Northern Fleet said on Thursday. The ship was previously deployed in the Mediterranean Sea as part of the Russian permanent group.
This is not the first time UK Navy reports performing such procedure. In December, UK Royal Navy said that frigate HMS St Albans escorted the Russian frigate Admiral Gorshkov when it was in the North Sea close to the UK territorial waters.