Russian frigate performs live-fire artillery exercise near UK’s coast:Vessel shadowed by Royal Navy ship French military aircraft

A Russian warship conducted a live-fire artillery exercise about 40 nautical miles south of Plymouth on Monday while being shadowed by the Royal Navy. According to the Ministry of Defence (MoD), the Royal Navy observed the exercise throughout and continues to monitor the vessel’s movements. The Russian frigate Neustrashimy was also tracked by a French military aircraft, which contacted the ship by radio to ask about its intentions. Before beginning the exercise, the frigate informed the Royal Navy patrol vessel HMS Tyne that it planned to carry out live gunnery drills and requested the British ship move to a safer distance. HMS Tyne complied, and the 30-minute exercise took place in international waters. The incident highlights the increase in Russian naval activity near UK waters in recent months and comes as the new prime minister takes office. Defence officials declined to say whether the timing of the exercise was linked to the start of Andy Burnham’s premiership. Last month, Royal Marine Commandos boarded a Russian “shadow fleet” oil tanker in the English Channel during a six-hour operation—the first mission of its kind carried out by UK armed forces. In another incident in June, British sailors Jane and Alan Kelvey encountered the Russian frigate Admiral Grigorovich while sailing about 23 miles (37 km) off the Isle of Wight in international waters. The Russian warship fired warning shots, claiming the couple’s yacht had made a “dangerous approach.” However, the couple disputed this, saying they had not been on a collision course. Russian naval vessels regularly transit through the English Channel using international waters, which lie outside the territorial waters of both the UK and France.