The Royal Navy is escorting Russian cruiser Marshal Ustinov, destroyer Vice-Admiral Kulakov and tanker Vyazma through the English Channel.

Earlier in the week, frigate HMS Lancaster was shadowing the Russian vessels in an area of international waters that are part of Ireland’s Exclusive Economic Zone.

Defence analyst @air_intel is following the vessels, I recommend you follow him for more.

Local media in Ireland had reported that the Irish Air Corps dispatched a surveillance aircraft to monitor the movements of the ships while the Irish Naval Service were working to dispatch a ship to observe. The Irish Defence Forces said they “aware of this activity and are monitoring the situation. However, Óglaigh na hÉireann does not comment on specific operational deployments.”

According to USNI News here, Marshal Ustinov, sister ship to the former RTS Moskva (121), passed through the Strait of Gibraltar last Thursday after operating in the Mediterranean Sea since early February, according to ship spotters.

“Shortly after it passed into the Atlantic two U.S. guided-missile destroyers assigned to the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group, USS Cole (DDG-67) and USS Bainbridge (DDG-96), followed the Russian cruiser two hours after it passed the Rock of Gibraltar, according to photos published by ship spotters. The cruiser was one of Russia’s primary naval assets in the region and reduces Moscow’s presence closer to Ukraine.”