The UK Royal Navy may be forced to request military support from France to intercept Russian vessels in British waters as the fleet struggles to meet operational commitments, the Daily Mail reported on Sunday, April 12.
Senior naval planners at Navy Command Headquarters in Portsmouth have reportedly concluded that UK forces “need help” from Paris to conduct boarding operations and provide “overwatch” for sanctioned tankers. The revelation comes despite an official denial from the UK Ministry of Defence, which stated on Saturday night that “UK waters remain protected and monitored 24/7.”
The capability gap was highlighted by reports that the UK currently has only one submarine and two frigates available for immediate operations. Last week, the Kremlin sent three submarines into northern UK waters to potentially sabotage undersea cables while HMS Dragon, Britain’s only available destroyer, was deployed to the Mediterranean.
In a further display of defiance, the Russian frigate Admiral Grigorovich recently escorted a pair of “shadow fleet” ships through the English Channel, despite UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s earlier vows to seize such vessels.
International Glance
Israeli forces killed at least seven Palestinians in the Gaza Strip over the past day, including a World Health Organisation (WHO) worker.
Syrians in Damascus took to the streets after Friday prayers, staging pro-Palestine protests against Israel’s latest measures targeting Palestinian held in Israeli jails and the continued closure of Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Dozens of paramedics in bright red uniforms shuffle around a coffin. The victim is one of their own.
Ukraine has returned seven more children from temporarily occupied territories as part of the “Bring Kids Back UA” initiative, Ukrainian Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets reported on Saturday, April 4.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) in March liberated a bit more territory held by enemy forces than it lost to Russia, according to compiled data made public by the AFU on Wednesday and reviewed independently.





























