Russian warship carried out firing exercise off Plymouth coast
A Russian frigate conducted live-fire artillery exercises in international waters near the UK coast, monitored by the Royal Navy. This incident follows a series of recent naval encounters between Russian vessels and British forces in the English Channel.
Why it matters
The event highlights ongoing geopolitical tensions and the increased frequency of Russian naval activity near UK territorial waters.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, The Russian Neustrashimy frigate
A Russian warship, shadowed by a Royal Navy vessel, carried out a live-fire artillery exercise just 40 nautical miles south of Plymouth on Monday.
The Royal Navy monitored the exercise and is continuing to "track the vessel's activity closely", a Ministry of Defence (MoD) spokesperson said.
The Russian frigate, Neustrashimy, was also being monitored by a French military aircraft which made radio contact with the warship asking it to clarify its intentions, the BBC has been told.
Prior to opening fire, the BBC was also told that the Russian warship informed the Royal Navy Offshore Patrol Vessel, HMS Tyne, of its intention to conduct gunnery activity.
The Russian warship requested that that HMS Tyne reposition to a safer distance, which it did. The Russian live-fire exercise took place in international waters and lasted for 30 minutes.
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