CHILLING images have revealed Russian sailors ready to attack as a warship passed through the English Channel – under the watchful eye of the Royal Navy.
The heavily armed vessel was escorting a huge sanctioned cargo vessel as Moscow’s been resorting to longer, more expensive routes to supply its forces in Ukraine.
Eddie MitchellA heavily armed Russian warship was spotted escorting a huge sanctioned cargo vessel through UK waters[/caption]
Eddie Mitchell – Commissioned by The TimesZoomed in pictures caught Putin’s crew with incredible detail as they sailed across the English Channel[/caption]
Eddie MitchellOfficers were seen manning machine guns and making sure coast is clear with their binoculars[/caption]
Mad Vlad Putin‘s armed officers and men in military fatigues were spotted on deck, hinting at the high-value hardware being transported.
They could be seen manning machine guns and even burning documents in giant metal barrels.
Extraordinary zoomed-in images also show the crew aboard corvette Boikiy, escorting the sanctioned merchant vessel Baltic Leader through UK waters.
Machine guns, handheld radios and binoculars were common items adorning Putin’s men.
The Times reported that Russian sailors were seen torching papers and standing at their weapons as the vessel moved through the Channel.
SEA STANDOFF
The Royal Navy shadowed Boikiy for three days as it guided the Baltic Leader back to Russia – a ship sanctioned by the US for transporting Kremlin military hardware.
HMS Somerset, a Type 23 Frigate, “watched every move” of the Russian task group deploying its Merlin helicopter to gather intelligence while coordinating with Nato allies.
A Royal Navy spokesman said: “The British Type 23 frigate utilised its powerful sensors and radars to report on Russian movements, launching her Merlin helicopter from 814 Naval Air Squadron to gather valuable information from the sky.
“The ship worked hand in hand with UK patrol aircraft and allied Nato forces during the operation, providing constant watch on the task group.”
The encounter began on March 1, when Boikiy sailed south through the North Sea and Channel to meet the Baltic Leader.
As the convoy returned towards Russian waters, the Royal Navy continued its shadowing operation, tracking the vessels past Ushant, near France, and through the Channel.
Eddie MitchellA sailor spotted on board the container ship marked with a Russian flag[/caption]
Eddie MitchellThe crew could also be seen apparently burning papers (left)[/caption]
SYRIAN EXPRESS
The operation comes as Moscow appears to be ramping up weapons shipments from Syria, using the so-called “Syrian Express” supply route to ferry military equipment from its base in Tartus back to the war in Ukraine.
Joseph Byrne, a senior analyst at the Open Source Centre, said: “Since mid-February we have seen a number of Russian-flagged cargo vessels sail from Syria into the Mediterranean and through the English Channel.
“They have exhibited highly similar patterns of life, including switching off their transponders when entering Syrian waters and ports, not broadcasting their final destinations, and appearing to sail through the Channel with a military escort for protection.”
With Ukraine intensifying strikes on Russian naval assets in the Black Sea, Moscow has been forced to take longer, riskier supply routes.
SWNSRoyal Navy frigate HMS Somerset monitors Russian merchant ship Baltic Leader in the Channel[/caption]
SWNSRoyal Navy frigate HMS Somerset (rear) follows Russian corvette Boikiy[/caption]
SWNSRoyal Navy frigate HMS Somerset (left) monitors the progress of Russian cargo vessel[/caption]
James Droxford, of intelligence consultancy Droxford Maritime, added: “Ukraine could destroy hundreds of tons of vital Russian military material in one go by attacking the ships, and that’s a huge risk for Russia to take.”
Western officials have debated new restrictions on Russia’s “dark fleet” of shadowy cargo ships, but under international law, Britain cannot legally block passage through its waters.
Meanwhile, Turkey has faced mounting pressure to prevent Russian arms shipments from passing through the Bosphorus Strait.
With more Russian arms shipments expected in the coming weeks, the Royal Navy remains on high alert – keeping a constant eye on Putin’s war machine as it sails past Britain’s shores.
AFPPutin has been ramping up weapons shipments from Syria amid his brutal invasion of Ukraine[/caption]
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