News

Military aircraft activity over Welsh coast amid renewed Russian naval concerns

Published

7 days ago

July 4, 2025

RAF surveillance patterns in Irish Sea resemble response to past spy ship incidents

A ROYAL AIR FORCE aircraft has been circling over Cardigan Bay and the approaches to the Irish Sea for several hours on Friday (July 4), prompting speculation about possible military monitoring activity in the region.

The Airbus A330 MRTT, flying under the callsign HUDSN52, was tracked performing a long, looping flight path consistent with surveillance or aerial refuelling support. The pattern is similar to those seen in previous RAF responses to foreign vessels in UK-monitored waters, particularly involving Russian naval assets.

Separately, RNLI Lifeboat 17-41—ordinarily based at Holyhead Lifeboat Station—was observed heading south towards Milford Haven. While the reason for its journey is unconfirmed, the movement is considered unusual, as the vessel is not normally deployed in the area. However, there is no direct evidence at this stage that links the lifeboat’s travel to the RAF aircraft or to any ongoing military operation.

The Herald understands from a well-placed source that a Russian vessel may be operating in the Irish Sea and is being monitored. That source, who is not authorised to speak publicly, suggested aircraft and naval assets may have been deployed in response.

In a similar incident in November 2024, the Russian ship Yantar—widely suspected of being capable of interfering with subsea communications cables—was tracked near critical infrastructure between Dublin and the Isle of Man. It was shadowed and ultimately escorted away by Western naval forces. The episode raised significant alarm over vulnerabilities in the UK and Ireland’s undersea cable networks.

Russia is known to deploy vessels like Yantar and Viktor Leonov for maritime intelligence missions in the North Atlantic, often operating just outside national territorial waters. NATO and independent analysts have warned that these ships loiter near key infrastructure, possibly mapping it for future disruption in the event of conflict.

While there is currently no official confirmation of a foreign vessel operating in the Irish Sea today, the RAF aircraft’s behaviour, combined with the recent history of such encounters, has led to speculation that a shadowing or monitoring operation could be underway.

The Ministry of Defence has not issued any public comment as of Friday afternoon. The Herald will continue to track military and maritime movements in the area and encourages anyone with relevant information to email [email protected].

Community

Milford Haven paddling pool open daily at 10:00am — safety reminder issued

Published

5 hours ago

July 10, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Town council urges parents to supervise children at all times

MILFORD HAVEN TOWN COUNCIL has reminded visitors to the children’s paddling pool on The Rath that the facility opens daily at 10:00am, and that children must be supervised by a responsible adult.

In a bilingual safety poster shared online, the council set out simple but essential rules to help ensure the pool remains a safe and fun space throughout the summer holidays. While the pool is popular with families, the council warns that it is not officially supervised, and users do so at their own risk.

The key rules include:

Children must be accompanied by an adult.
No running or diving in or around the pool.
No food, drink, or glass bottles in the water area.
No dogs are allowed within the paddling pool zone.
Littering is strictly prohibited.

A council spokesperson said: “Hi everyone, a polite request: we ask that all children be supervised by a responsible adult while using the pool. Thank you.”

There is no formal age limit for the pool, but younger children will be given priority, especially during busy times.

Local families have praised the pool since it reopened, with one visitor, Linda Phillips, commenting: “We’ve just spent two hours there. Great effort everyone! The youngsters are really enjoying it.”

Milford Haven Town Council thanked her for the feedback, calling it “lovely to hear.”

Opening times or access arrangements may change due to weather or maintenance — updates will be posted on the council’s official Facebook page.

Caption:

Splash safely: Milford Haven Town Council’s new bilingual poster reminds families to supervise children and follow the rules while enjoying the paddling pool on The Rath this summer (Pic: Herald).

News

Stricken boat rescued off Ramsey Island after gearbox failure

Published

10 hours ago

July 10, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Off-duty RNLI crew member steps in to assist with tow to safety

ST DAVIDS RNLI all-weather lifeboat launched at 6:20pm on Wednesday (July 9) to assist a 28-foot motorboat that had suffered drive shaft failure near Ramsey Island.

The vessel, which had departed from Porthclais harbour with two people on board, was left without propulsion due to gearbox issues and was drifting dangerously close to cliffs.

The call for assistance was received at 6:09pm, and the lifeboat was launched just over 10 minutes later. Calm sea conditions allowed the volunteer crew to reach the scene swiftly. A local recreational boat from Voyages of Discovery had been standing by the stricken vessel until the lifeboat arrived.

Given the boat’s proximity to the cliffs and inability to manoeuvre, the coxswain made the decision to tow it back to Porthclais. However, the harbour is inaccessible to the RNLI’s all-weather lifeboat.

Fortunately, off-duty crew member Robin was nearby on his own vessel and was able to take over the tow and bring the motorboat safely into the harbour.

The lifeboat and crew returned to station by 7:40pm.

Crime

Motorist sentenced over crash that left biker with life-changing injuries

Published

11 hours ago

July 10, 2025

Court Reporter

A PEMBROKESHIRE man who caused life-changing injuries to a motorcyclist in a serious crash at Merlin’s Bridge has been sentenced at Swansea Crown Court.

JAMES IAN PUTTOCK appeared before the court on Wednesday (July 2), where he pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by careless or inconsiderate driving, contrary to section 2C of the Road Traffic Act 1988.

The collision occurred on December 20, 2022, at Merlin’s Bridge, near Haverfordwest, and involved a red Suzuki Splash driven by Puttock and a motorcyclist.

The rider suffered what police described at the time as “life-changing injuries” and was airlifted to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff. The road was closed for several hours while crash investigators examined the scene.

Puttock had originally been due to stand trial, as previously reported by The Pembrokeshire Herald in January 2024. However, he entered a guilty plea ahead of trial.

At sentencing, the court imposed the following:

20 weeks’ imprisonment, suspended for 12 months
10 Rehabilitation Activity Requirement (RAR) days
12-month driving disqualification

The Herald understands the crash had a profound impact on the injured rider and their family, who are still dealing with the long-term consequences of the incident.