Navy faces begging France for help to see off Russian threats in our own waters due to lack of ships

 The Royal Navy will be forced to ask the French for help intercepting Russian vessels in British waters because the UK fleet is struggling to meet 'operational commitments', senior defence sources have revealed.

With Vladimir Putin putting on increasingly brazen displays of Russian military might around the UK, naval planners have told The Mail on Sunday they 'need help' from Paris to deal with the threat.

It was revealed last week that the Kremlin had sent three submarines into waters north of the UK as part of a plot to sabotage British undersea cables while HMS Dragon, Britain's only available destroyer, was in the eastern Mediterranean.

The Russian President also defied Sir Keir Starmer's threat to seize sanctioned Russian vessels by sending the Admiral Grigorovich warship to escort a pair of his 'ghost fleet' ships through the Channel. 

The Navy is understood to have just one submarine and two frigates available for immediate operations.

Earlier this year the German navy was forced to step in and replace HMS Dragon as the flagship of a Nato task force after the destroyer was sent to the Mediterranean.

On Saturday night, the Ministry of Defence denied Britain needed France's help, saying: 'UK waters remain protected and monitored 24/7, and we have the resources needed to keep the UK safe.'

But this newspaper understands that naval staff officers at Navy Command Headquarters at HMS Excellent in Portsmouth have been working on contingency plans to counter Russian shadow fleet tankers since the Prime Minister announced last month that the UK would interdict (board and seize) them. 

They have concluded they need the French to help with potential boarding operations by Royal Marines and 'overwatch' by surface fleet vessels.

There are around 120 ships in the French Navy – some 45 more than the British have. France also has more frigates and destroyers – 25 – all of which can carry helicopters and are more modern than the British ones.

A senior military source said: 'We would have to ask our oldest enemy for help in the Channel. 

'We simply don't have enough warship capability to secure the coastline without the support of the French.

'If politicians say we can do it on our own they are mistaken. We need help. Frankly, you don't need to be a rocket scientist to see the fleet is struggling to meet operational commitments.'

They added: 'We have been working on a plan to use French assets to boost intelligence and raise security in our waters. It would be based on the framework we have seen with the Joint Expeditionary Force, in which nations such as Sweden, Denmark and Norway share resources and intelligence to provide legal, political and military strength to harass these ships.

'We are short of frigates, destroyers and submarines – sadly that is a fact. Having said that, we plan and prepare – it is up to Downing Street to approve and direct us to carry out political policy.'

The news comes after Sir Keir suffered the embarrassment of being forced to shelve a deal to hand sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius after Donald Trump withdrew his support for the plan.

The British territory includes a joint UK-US military base on the largest island, Diego Garcia, which has been a source of contention between London and Washington over its potential use to launch bombing raids against Iran.

On Saturday night, Reform leader Nigel Farage said asking the French for military help was 'an act of national humiliation', while former Tory defence minister Tobias Ellwood said the UK needed 'a whole new approach to maritime defence – not a Nineties tribute band'.

Kemi Badenoch also accused the government of prioritising 'benefits over bullets' and said it was a 'national scandal' that plans on future defence funding have still not been published.