British warship escorts Russian aircraft carrier passed UK waters HMS Liverpool's commanding officer, Commander Colin Williams, said: "As an island nation, it is essential for the UK to maintain a military presence in our waters. In December, the Portsmouth-based destroyer HMS York was sent to shadow the Kuznetsov group as it sailed south from Russia - the closest that a Russian naval task group had been to the United Kingdom in 20 years. A Royal Navy spokesman said: "Liverpool is due to decommission at the end of March but has already gone through a maintenance period in Portsmouth and a visit to London, where thousands of members of the public stepped aboard. On leaving London she was activated as Fleet Ready Escort. When her escort duty finishes, HMS Liverpool will conduct training exercises in the UK and Norway, before a final visit to her home town of Liverpool. She decommissions on March 30 in Portsmouth.