A Russian Black Sea Fleet frigate has been spotted off the southwest coast of Ireland, marking the latest in a series of Russian naval activities in international waters near Irish soil.
The Admiral Grigorovich frigate is equipped for electronic warfare and armed with Kaliber missiles, which have been used to target areas and infrastructure in Ukraine.
In response to these naval activities, both the British Royal Navy and Royal Air Force provided support by monitoring Russian naval vessels operating in international waters near Irish and British territories.
Russian ships are banned from both European Union and British ports and the sighting of at least four Russian ships, including a warship, has alarmed Irish authorities.
“At least four Russian ships, including a warship and other Russian-registered merchant vessels, have been sighted off the Irish coast. Among the vessels spotted was the Admiral Grigorovich, a Russian frigate, among multiple vessels that sailed in Ireland's exclusive economic zone (EEZ),” reports a foreign media outlet.
Ireland's EEZ extends 200 miles from the country's coastline. The Irish Navy captured images of another ship, a tanker named Kama, which is said to be refueling the Russian frigate.
The ships have been spotted near undersea cables, reports say, posing an immediate threat to Ireland's security. If the cables were to be undermined, significant damage could be caused to the operation of the Internet or to aspects of Ireland's personal, national, international or commercial affairs.
Defense analysts suggest that these high-profile naval activities may serve to intimidate and harass Western governments and coalitions as the conflict in Ukraine continues.
There are also concerns about the potential threat to critical infrastructure, such as the data and communications cables linking North America, Ireland and Europe, which pass through Ireland's south-west coast.
Any damage or interference to these cables can have serious financial and practical consequences. The continued cooperation between Irish and British forces aims to mitigate these risks and maintain regional security, while respecting the legal rights of nations to operate in international waters.
Although the ships are now returning to Russian waters, this is not an isolated incident. In April 2023, at least three Russian ships were spotted off the Irish coast near Kerry and Galway.
A UK Ministry of Defense spokesperson said, "That's why we have increased our Royal Navy patrol presence following the Nord Stream incident and invested £65 million in the first of our two Multi-Role Ocean Surveillance ships."
Defense and security analyst Declan Power wrote in The Sunday Times: "The fact that Russian ships have re-entered Ireland's exclusive economic zone represents an escalation in President Putin's efforts to intimidate the country and keep Western Europe off balance".
