Tensions between London and Moscow show no sign of easing. According to the British Ministry of Defence, following the Russian spy ship Yantar, which last week sailed north of Scotland near British territorial waters, two other Russian warships—the corvette Stoiky and the supply ship Yelnya—have been detected in the English Channel.

The Royal Navy patrol vessel Severn intervened immediately, intercepting them and guiding them off the coast of Brittany in France, where a NATO ship took over monitoring.

The UK considers the Yantar a spy vessel and accuses Russia of attempting to map undersea cables in British waters. Last week, the ship’s crew used lasers to disrupt tracking by RAF pilots monitoring the vessel from the air, an action described as “extremely dangerous” by Defence Secretary John Healey. Addressing Russia and President Vladimir Putin, he said: “We see you. We know what you are doing. We are ready.”

The UK Ministry of Defence notes that over the past two years, violations of British territorial waters by Russian ships have increased by 30%, raising the alert level of British and NATO forces in the area.

At the same time, this increased military activity coincides with new sanctions imposed last week on the Russian company Media Land. The UK, the US, and Australia sanctioned the company, holding it responsible for a series of cyberattacks against Western companies.