The Russian warship Admiral Grigorovich, which has been escorting “shadow fleet” tankers in the English Channel for the past several months, has been spotted in the Kaliningrad Region. The Baltic Fleet frigate Neustrashimy, which had recently been detected off the British coast, has likely replaced it as an escort for vessels of the “shadow fleet.” v
Footage showing the Admiral Grigorovich in the port of Baltiysk, Kaliningrad Region, was posted by military analyst Massimo Frantarelli on June 16. Based on the surrounding structures, The Insider has determined that the footage was likely filmed from the Northern Breakwater observation point at the entrance to the Baltic Strait.
Shortly before the Admiral Grigorovich was spotted in Baltiysk, British broadcaster Sky News published helicopter footage of another Russian warship in the North Sea. The video appeared on the outlet’s social media the previous evening.
The footage shows the refuelling and resupply of the frigate Neustrashimy, described by Sky News as “the second Russian warship to escort shadow fleet ships through the Channel.” Neustrashimy, a frigate in Russia’s Baltic Fleet, reportedly returned to its home base of Baltiysk this past February.
On July 10, Neustrashimy was spotted in the waters of the English Channel by the monitoring project Russian Forces Spotter. Given that the Admiral Grigorovich has reportedly been spotted in Baltiysk, it is indeed possible that Neustrashimy will replace it on duty in British waters, escorting shadow fleet tankers. There is, however, no independent confirmation yet that Grigorovich has actually returned to Baltiysk.
Shortly before that, on July 14, some analysts suggested that the Admiral Grigorovich might be escorting a cargo vessel through the English Channel. That assessment was incorrect, Starboard Maritime Intelligence analyst Mark Douglas told The Insider at the time:
“This isn’t true. It seems highly likely that ADMIRAL GRIGOROVICH is heading to resupply with PM-82 off Suffolk. It could still be a new Russian unit doing the escorting, but that seems less likely.”
Over the past three months, the Admiral Grigorovich has regularly escorted at least some of the vessels in Russia’s “shadow fleet” through the English Channel. It was first spotted in the strait’s waters this past April, after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that the military would detain vessels on British sanctions lists. The Royal Navy has tracked the frigate almost continuously since late April.
In mid-June, the frigate made headlines again after firing warning shots at a British leisure yacht. Russia’s Defense Ministry then accused the yacht’s crew of “dangerously approaching” the warship.
