A Russian cargo vessel was forced to leave British waters after being detected close to critical undersea communication cables in the Bristol Channel, The WP Times reports, citing The Telegraph, triggering an intervention by the Royal Navy. According to the report, the Russian-flagged vessel Sinegorsk entered the Bristol Channel on the evening of Tuesday, 27 January, before anchoring approximately two miles off the coast of Minehead in Somerset.
The ship was positioned less than a mile from key submarine telecommunications cables linking the United Kingdom with the United States, Canada, Spain and Portugal — infrastructure regarded as vital to national security and global data traffic. Russian crew members reportedly claimed they were carrying out “necessary repair works”. British officials, however, dismissed the explanation, describing the vessel’s behaviour as “deeply suspicious”.
Alicia Kearns, the UK’s Shadow Security Minister, said the incident highlighted “the persistent and covert threats the UK continues to face from Vladimir Putin and his allies”.
Following a 14-hour standoff, British authorities ordered the vessel to leave territorial waters. A Royal Navy Wildcat helicopter, deployed from RNAS Yeovilton, instructed the crew to raise anchor and proceed into open sea. While the helicopter may have been equipped with Sea Venom anti-ship missiles or Sting Ray torpedoes, officials did not confirm the specific armament used during the operation.
A pattern of previous incidents
UK defence officials note that this was not an isolated case. In 2025, the Russian intelligence-gathering ship Yantar was closely monitored by the Royal Navy amid concerns over undersea infrastructure surveillance. In a separate incident, the crew of the tanker Fitburg was detained in Finland after damage was reported to cables connecting Helsinki and Tallinn. The UK Ministry of Defence has repeatedly stressed that British naval forces continuously monitor maritime activity to protect critical infrastructure, including undersea cables, pipelines and offshore installations.
In December 2025, the Royal Navy tracked a Russian Krasnodar-class submarine through the English Channel, stating it was prepared to initiate anti-submarine measures if required, before handing over monitoring duties to allies within NATO as the vessel approached French waters.In October last year, another Russian ship carrying hazardous cargo entered the Channel and was described by security sources as a “floating bomb”.
Read about the life of Westminster and Pimlico district, London and the world. 24/7 news with fresh and useful updates on culture, business, technology and city life: Will Britain’s Nightfall ballistic missiles give Ukraine the ability to strike 500 km targets
