A RUSSIAN warship carried out live-fire drills just 40 nautical miles off the coast of Plymouth yesterday.
The frigate was being shadowed by a Royal Navy vessel at the time and its activity is still being tracked “closely”.
HMS Tyne was shadowing the Russian warship and was asked to move to a safe distance Credit: Getty
HMS Iron Duke shadowing the RFN Neustrashimy and cargo ship Sparta IV6 Credit: PA
A French military aircraft was also monitoring the warship, Neustrashimy, and asked it to clarify its intentions, the BBC reports.
The Russian warship told the Royal Navy Offshore Patrol Vessel, HMS Tyne, that it intended to fire rounds and asked the vessel to move to a safe distance.
The gunnery activity lasted for 30 minutes and took place in international waters.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence said: “A Russian naval vessel shadowed by the Royal Navy conducted a live-fire weapons exercise in international waters approximately 40 nautical miles south of Plymouth yesterday.
“The Royal Navy monitored that exercise throughout, continues to track the vessel’s activity closely, and stands ready to protect UK national security.”
Last month, British commandos dramatically stormed a Russian “shadow fleet” oil tanker in a first-of-its-kind mission.
The Royal Marines arrested an Indian national on suspicion of sanctions offences in the covert mission.
Also in June, a British yacht was shot at by a huge Russian warship 20 miles off the Isle of Wight in a terrifying Channel showdown.
Alan Kelvey, 71, and wife Jane, 69, were “shaky” but undaunted as they arrived in France after an rencounter with frigate, the Admiral Grigorovich.
The retirees had set sail from Lymington, Hants, at around 4am and were in international waters when the Russian ship opened fire.
It was thought to be the first time a foreign warship has fired shots in the Channel — apart from allies training off Plymouth — since the end of .
Defence experts last night slammed the Russians’ aggression as “unusual and highly escalatory”.
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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