... and Royal Navy is, of course, free to try if it wants to commit the suicide by cop. But, unlike UK, Russia has an actual functioning Navy which is growing in numbers and capability.
The Russian fleet has begun escorting tankers as they pass through the English Channel, according to an analyst at Starboard Maritime Intelligence Ltd. In an interview with the All Exclusive channel, Mark Douglas said that according to the Automatic Identification System (AIS), the tankers SELVA and SIERRA passed through the English Channel synchronously with the Project 20380 corvette Boykiy of the Baltic Fleet of the Russian Navy. This is reportedly the first recorded military escort in the strait. Let us recall that on May 14, the Estonian Navy attempted to intercept the JAGUAR tanker in the Gulf of Finland, which prompted a Su-35S to fly in to drive the Estonians away. Following these events, the Finnish Minister of Defense announced that Russia had begun armed escort of its tankers on their way through the Gulf.
Here is Boykiy.
I wouldn't pass it by cretins in Admiralty (and MI6) in London to organize some kind of false flag or provocation--their losers' vile oozes from all their orifices--but keep in mind that British have some nice fat targets outside UK proper and they will not be given 24 hour warning. They will only see MiG-31Ks taking off, after that big bada-bum. And do not forget, before all those "frigates" and "corvettes", Soviet Navy had a very proper title for this class of ships--сторожевые корабли--literally ESCORT ships.
