The Royal Navy conducted a two-day operation, in coordination with NATO allies, to track a Russian warship, the Boikiy, and its accompanying oil tanker, MT General Skobelev, as they transited the English Channel. Two patrol ships and a Wildcat helicopter were deployed for this mission, which is part of increased NATO monitoring of Russian shipping. This operation follows Britain's support for a French effort to intercept a sanctioned Russian oil tanker near the Straits of Gibraltar, aimed at disrupting funding for Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The Royal Navy routinely monitors potential national security threats, including those to critical infrastructure.