RAF drones are now actively policing British waters to track Russian naval fleets for the very first time, it emerged last night.
The unprecedented move comes after fears Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin are ramping up and
Now, the have confirmed that an unarmed British Protector RG1 drone was recently deployed above the to shadow a Russian warship.
Operating between late September and mid-October alongside warships and helicopters, the aircraft delivered more than ten hours of “intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance coverage”.
The state-of-the-art surveillance craft is one of 16 unmanned models ordered by the , with 11 currently operational in the fleet.
Wes Streeting, the Defence Secretary, said: “Our Armed Forces work together every day, around the clock, to keep our country safe and safeguard our national interests.
“For the first time, Protector has joined Royal Navy warships and helicopters monitoring activity around our shores, demonstrating how we are constantly innovating to monitor and deter threats and irresponsible provocation.”
It comes amid mounting criticism over Labour’s defence budgets and growing fears that funding gaps could leave the nation vulnerable to Moscow’s aggression.
But officials confirmed that the Royal Navy has ramped up its anti-Russian monitoring operations by 25 per cent in the first seven months of this year, compared to the same timeframe in 2025.
Suspicious Russian vessels have also been detected looming near Britain’s vital underwater cable networks.
In direct response to this threat, the MoD is injecting an additional £330million into seabed surveillance and next-generation anti-submarine warfare capabilities over the coming four years.
Intelligence chiefs fear Britain is high on the Kremlin’s target list as Putin seeks revenge for our unwavering support of Ukraine.
Moscow’s forces have already successfully landed rogue inside the borders of Poland, Moldova, Lithuania, Norway and Denmark.
Reflecting on the mission, Wg Cdr Sam Haley, officer commanding XIII Squadron, said: “Protector’s first operational sorties in UK airspace demonstrate the significant value this capability brings to UK defence.
“Working alongside Royal Navy vessels, it provided persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance coverage, highlighting its ability to operate seamlessly across military and civilian airspace in support of maritime security, commitments and wider UK tasking.”
It comes after it was reported that is deploying fishing trawlers to spy on the UK’s critical undersea cables.
The bombshell revelation has sparked fears the Russian tyrant is mapping out Britain’s critical infrastructure to prepare for future attacks.
Nato has been tracking civilian vessels loitering in waters around Britain as they carry out espionage for the Kremlin, The Telegraph reported.
The outlet has analysed more than 500 cases of Russian trawlers lurking above vital communication cables linking the UK with Europe and the US.
Others have followed the cable routes – carrying billions of pounds of economic activity – for miles across the ocean.
Ministers have confirmed that Moscow is using “commercial proxies” to threaten the deep sea infrastructure.
Europe has been on high alert for months after increasingly daring Russian underwater sabotage plots.
British forces caught designed to disable critical undersea cables without leaving a trace this Spring.
It comes amid a warning by Defence Secretary that the country must be ready for war in 1,000 days.
And during his maiden Budget, announced his intention to increase defence spending to 3 per cent of GDP by 2030.
However, the path to do this will be outlined in the next Spending Review.
