Pictures have emerged of the Russian-registered ships that have been causing concern off the west and southwest coast of Ireland over the past week.
The images released by the Air Corps reveal three ships, not two as previously reported.
The three Russian-registered commercial vessels, the UMKA - an off-shore supply vessel, the BAHKTEMIR - a salvage and rescue ship and the FORTUNA - a pipelay/crane vessel, first departed from the Russian port of Murmansk on 23 February on a course for the Equatorial Guinea port of Malobo on the west coast of Africa.
At least two of the Russian ships were first sighted off the Galway coast late last week in the vicinity of a newly opened sub-sea communications cable.
The vessels then left the Irish Exclusive Economic Zone before re-appearing again without explanation off the north Kerry coast, west of An Daingean on Friday.
Their movements were monitored by the Air Corps, and by the Naval Service from their base at Haulbowline.
There was no Irish naval ships at sea on Friday due to a lack of personnel.
While the presence of the ships initially "raised serious concerns" among Irish military officials, later analysis, according to the Irish Times, "determined the ships' unusual movements were probably a result of efforts to avoid bad weather, rather than anything sinister".
Ship tracking software now places the vessels south of the English coast en route for the Bay of Biscay.
In a statement issued this evening, the Defence Forces said the Irish Air Corps and the Irish Naval Service "had observed Russian commercial vessels in international waters off the island of Ireland as part of their Maritime, Defence & Security Operations".
They said they "continue to monitor activity in Irish waters and to undertake maritime Defence and Security Operations throughout Ireland's maritime domain".
(Pictures courtesy of Irish Defence Forces)
