Sinegorsk

The Royal Navy has been tracking a suspicious Russian ship, the 'Sinegorsk', that spent 14 hours stopped over undersea data cables in the Bristol Channel. The vessel had sailed into the Bristol Channel on Jan 27, 2026, at 9.30 p.m., before anchoring to the roughly two miles off Minehead, on the north coast of Somerset. Less than a mile from the position were undersea telecoms cables connecting Britain to the US, Canada, Spain and Portugal. The ship’s movements attracted attention after it remained inside UK waters for several hours and altered course multiple times near to seabed data cables and just miles from Hinkley Point. The movements of the Russian ship were regarded as deeply suspicious, and another reminder of the persistent and pernicious threats the country was facing from Putin and his allies. The most recent recorded port visit was three weeks ago at Arkhangelsk in Russia, which is a major trading port and also the headquarters of the Russian navy's Northern Fleet. The vessel's presence prompted surveillance by an HM Coastguard aeroplane and a Royal Navy Wildcat attack helicopter. The Department for Transport issued a clear warning as a first step to the vessel to leave UK waters after it entered to undertake essential safety repairs, which the vessel complied with on the afternoon of Jan 28 at 2 p.m. with the status "for orders". Report with photo: https://metro.co.uk/2026/01/29/royal-navy-attack-helicopter-chases-russian-ship-waters-close-uk-town-26590833/