HMS Tyne, seen here arriving in the Sound yesterday evening, and was shadowing the Russian warship Neustrashimy, 40 nautical miles south of Plymouth.
The Russian ship carried out live gunnery exercises in the English Channel, and was reported to be ‘highly unusual’ by defence sources, but the drill took place in international waters.
HMS Tyne was monitoring the Russian warship together with a French maritime aircraft. The live drill lasted for about 30 minutes.
At 3,450 tonnes, the Russian warship Neustrashimy is armed with a 4-inch main gun, anti-ship missiles, torpedoes and two close-in weapons systems.
The MoD said, “The Royal Navy monitored the exercise throughout and continues to track the vessel’s activity closely and stands ready to protect UK national security.”
