DSS Galatea Escorts RFS Boikiy Through the Netherlands EEZ

A patrol vessel operated by the Royal Netherlands Navy has conducted surveillance and escort duties involving Russian naval units as they transited the North Sea. The activity formed part of routine maritime monitoring procedures within the Netherlands’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

The patrol vessel DSS Galatea escorted the Russian corvette RFS Boikiy, a Steregushchy-class vessel - regarded by NATO as a “frigate” - alongside the tanker General Skobelev as the two ships passed through waters under Dutch jurisdiction. Having entered from the south, they were monitored until they left the Dutch sector of the EEZ, at which point responsibility passed to allied forces.

Continuous naval surveillance in the North Sea

The Netherlands Ministry of Defence stated that this was not an isolated deployment. In the preceding days, DSS Galatea had also accompanied two other Russian vessels during their North Sea passage, following the same south-to-north transit pattern.

Dutch forces have maintained a permanent presence in this maritime area since July 2023. Their responsibilities include escorting military vessels from non-NATO countries when they sail through the national EEZ, always in coordination with allies and in accordance with applicable international regulations.

These missions are intended to sustain surveillance, safeguard maritime security and oversee foreign naval activity in one of Europe’s busiest maritime regions.

The role of DSS Galatea

DSS Galatea is a civilian ship leased by the Dutch Ministry of Defence since last year as an interim measure pending the expected arrival of two future multifunction support vessels next year.

Under a special charter arrangement, the vessel - categorised as a government vessel - is authorised to carry out detection, escort, guidance and monitoring operations, all of which are central functions within the national maritime security framework.

Recent precedent in the Strait of Gibraltar

The monitoring of RFS Boikiy follows a comparable incident several days earlier in the Strait of Gibraltar, one of the world’s most strategically important sea passages. On that occasion, open-source information indicated that Royal Navy and Spanish Navy vessels performed surveillance and escort duties while the Russian unit crossed towards the Atlantic Ocean.

During the transit, the British patrol vessel HMS Dagger (P296) and the Spanish Maritime Action Vessel ESPS Furor (P-46) accompanied both the corvette RFS Boikiy (532) and the tanker General Skobelev, conducting close monitoring in line with standard protocols for the presence of foreign military vessels.

Although neither the United Kingdom nor Spain issued official statements, observers indicated that HMS Dagger may also have been tasked with overseeing the joint operation, as part of allied coordination and established maritime security procedures.

Archive images from the Netherlands Ministry of Defence.