英国皇家海军证实，一艘英国海军护卫舰圣诞节当天在靠近英国领海的北海水域一艘俄罗斯军舰经过时紧急近距离“伴航”。
俄罗斯海军的戈尔什科夫海军元帅号军舰在北海靠近英国水域的海域经过时，英国皇家海军的圣爱尔班号号护卫舰进行了监视。
虽然这样的航行经常发生，但是最近数天以来经过英国领海附近水域的俄罗斯舰船数量有所增加。
英国皇家海军说，最近经过英国水域的俄罗斯船只有很大增加。英国最近警告说，俄罗斯对海底的因特网电缆构成新威胁。
英国国防参谋长、空军上将彼奇爵士12月早些时候说，英国和北约应该以保护通讯线路为当务之急。他说，如果通讯线路被切断或受到干扰，经济会立即受到冲击，并有可能导致灾难性后果。
海底铺设有连接各大洲以及各国的纵横交错的电缆。
A British naval frigate escorted a Russian warship through the North Sea near UK waters on Christmas Day, the Royal Navy confirmed.
The HMS St. Albans monitored the Russian vessel Admiral Gorshkov as it made its way across the North Sea close to Britain.
Although such crossings are fairly routine, there has been a rise in the number of Russian ships passing close to British territorial waters in recent days.
The Royal Navy said there had been a recent “upsurge in Russian units transiting UK waters”. Britain recently warned of a new threat posed by Russia to internet cables under the sea.
Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach, the chief of the defense staff, said earlier this month that Britain and NATO needed to prioritize protecting the lines of communication.
He said it would “immediately and potentially catastrophically” hit the economy if they were cut or disrupted.
The cables criss-cross the seabed, connecting up countries and continents.