The Russian cargo ship Sinegorsk (IMO: 9261061) was forced out of British territorial waters after a Royal Navy helicopter appeared on the scene, The Telegraph reported on Jan. 29. The vessel had been anchored in the Bristol Channel near undersea communication cables linking the UK with the United States, Canada, Spain and Portugal.
According to data from Starboard Maritime Intelligence, Sinegorsk last called at port three weeks earlier, on Jan. 5, in the northern Russian city of Arkhangelsk. On the evening of Jan. 27, the ship entered the Bristol Channel and stopped about two nautical miles from the town of Minehead in Somerset. Several undersea telecommunications cables run within one kilometer of the anchorage point, including major lines connecting the UK with New York and Nova Scotia.
The Insider found that the vessel dropped anchor near the following cables:
- Tata TGN-Western Europe (two branches connecting the United Kingdom with Portugal and Spain);
- EXA Express (links the UK and Ireland with Canada);
- Tata TGN-Atlantic South (connecting the UK with the United States)
The Russian side claimed the vessel was allegedly making “essential safety repairs.” Nevertheless, British officials ordered the crew to leave the UK’s territorial waters. On the afternoon of Jan. 28, a Wildcat helicopter was scrambled from the Royal Navy air base in Yeovilton. After it appeared, the crew of the Sinegorsk weighed anchor and headed back out to sea. A coast guard aircraft had also been monitoring the vessel beforehand.
UK shadow security minister Alicia Kearns called the actions of the Russian ship “deeply suspicious” and said the incident was a reminder of the “persistent and pernicious threats” posed to the UK by “Putin and his allies.”