NATO Monitors Russian Surveillance Ship Loitering Near NATO Exercise

Portuguese frigate and Russian intelligence collection vessel — Portuguese frigate as it was monitoring the Russian vessel loitering near the NATO exercise (NATO Maritime Command)

It was a case of who’s watching whom, according to reports from NATO Maritime Command. A Russian “intelligence collection” warship was spotted by NATO, reportedly loitering nearby by as one of its largest and most demanding exercises got underway.

Named Dynamic Mongoose 2026, the operation is taking place in Norway, bringing together warships, assets, and submarines from nine allies. The Russians are rarely too far away, trying to observe the action during one of these exercises. This year, NATO reports it identified the Russian vessel Yuri Ivanov, only one of two in a class of ships Russia built for intelligence collection.

Yuri Ivanov was commissioned in 2015 and is thought to have about 120 people aboard. It is a 4,000-ton displacement vessel measuring 95 meters (312 feet). Its sister ship operates in the Black Sea and has been a target for Ukraine.

NATO commanders reported on Thursday, May 21, that the vessel was loitering in the area of the exercise, which had commenced on May 18 and runs to May 26. They call the training program one of the most demanding maritime exercises for NATO as they sail in the cold waters of Norway. The exercise launched from Trondheim, and it focuses on submarine and anti-submarine warfare capabilities.

Vessels preparing for the start of the exercise (NATO)

Germany, the Netherlands, and Portugal are participating with submarines. Among the surface vessels are HDMS Esbern Snare from Denmark, FGS Sachsen from Germany, HNLMS Zeeleeuw from the Netherlands, NRP Francisco De Almeida from Portugal, and HMS Duncan and HMS Prince of Wales from Great Britain. Maritime patrol aircraft from Canada, France, Germany, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and the United States are also participating in the exercise.

During Dynamic Mongoose, the Allied submarines are maneuvering beneath the cold Norwegian Sea, testing their skills. The surface and air forces are challenged to detect, track, and counter the underwater threats.

They also had a Russian “visitor” to deal with. NATO maritime commanders decided to assign NRP Francisco De Almeida and a Merlin Mk2 from HMS Prince of Wales to monitor the Russian vessel as it was positioned near the NATO fleet.

NATO posted a message online of “We are watching,” but it became a challenge to know who was watching whom.