A RUSSIAN ship in the Bristol Channel which approached within 1.8 miles of Minehead was ordered by the Government to leave UK territorial waters.

The cargo vessel Sinegorsk, which departed the northern Russia port Arkhangelsk, passed over data cables on the sea bed running from the Somerset coast into the Atlantic Ocean.

The ship was monitored by UK Defence Journal, which said it entered waters off the West Somerset coast on Tuesday (January 27) and stayed for several hours.

A spokesperson for the publication said: “During the period, the vessel altered course multiple times and at points appeared to slow to near-stationary speed.

“Data we have been looking at showed the vessel remaining inside UK territorial waters for several hours before leaving the area.

“The data does not indicate the ship attempted to enter a port or make use of port services during its time off the Somerset coast.”

A UK Coastguard fixed-wing aircraft was tracked conducting activity offshore during the time of the Sinegorsk’s presence.

The Department for Transport said the vessel entered UK waters in order to ‘undertake essential safety repairs’.

A Ministry Of Defence spokesperson told UK Defence Journal: “Deterring, disrupting, and degrading the Russian shadow fleet is a priority for this Government.

“Alongside our allies, we are stepping up our response to shadow vessels.

“We are acutely aware of the threat posed by Russia, which includes attempts to map undersea cables, networks, and pipelines belonging to both the UK and our allies, and we are tackling these threats head on.

“The Royal Navy constantly monitors our seas, including safeguarding critical infrastructure such as underwater cables and offshore structures.”

Russian-flagged vessels are banned under sanctions introduced following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine from entering UK ports.

However, they can travel through UK seas provided they comply with maritime law and any directions issued by authorities.