Panic in English Channel as four Russian vessels shadowed by Royal Navy warships

HMS Iron Duke shadows RFS Stoiky successful the English transmission (Image: MoD)

Royal Navy warships person shadowed 4 Russian Navy vessels done the English Channel and North Sea. It comes aft Vladimir Putin sent a awesome to the UK connected the time helium warned the West against allowing Ukraine to people his state with long-range missiles.

Additionally, 2 RAF Typhoons were yesterday scrambled from RAF Lossiemouth, supported by a Voyager from RAF Brize Norton, to intercept 2 Russian Bear-F craft operating adjacent the UK, successful a wide denotation of spiking tensions arsenic Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer flew to Washington for talks with US President Joe Biden.

In a six-day cognition coordinated with NATO allies, the Portsmouth-based frigate HMS Iron Duke shadowed the Kilo-class submarine Novorossiysk and its supporting tug Evgeny Churov done the Dover Strait and into the Atlantic.

The cognition got underway astatine the commencement of September erstwhile Canadian warship HMCS Shawinigan escorted the diesel-powered submarine and her enactment vas arsenic they sailed from the Baltic and headed crossed the North Sea.

The Canadian patrol vessel past handed implicit monitoring duties to the Royal Navy arsenic the Russian vessels approached the Dover Strait.

Typhoon jets were scrambled yesterday (FILE PIC) (Image: Getty)

From there, HMS Iron Duke ensured changeless ticker connected the 2 vessels, utilizing her galore sensors including her Wildcat helicopter, from 815 Naval Air Squadron, successful the air. The submarine stayed connected the aboveground passim the operation.

After the Russian vessels had passed UK waters, HMS Iron Duke handed implicit shadowing duties to the Marine Nationale disconnected the northwest seashore of France, wherever the frigate FS Auvergne took over.

The vessel past returned to the North Sea for a akin cognition – this clip with Steregushchiy-class corvette Stoiky and tanker MT Yaz arsenic it approached Dover, taking implicit shadowing duties from the Belgian Navy, whose patrol vas BNS Castor had kept ticker up to that point.

HMS Iron Duke subsequently handed implicit monitoring duties to patrol vessel HMS Tyne disconnected northbound occidental France.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer arrives successful Washington yesterday (Image: Getty)

Throughout some journeys past the UK – which is permitted nether planetary instrumentality successful accordance with the close of guiltless transition – the Russian warships and their enactment vessels were intimately monitored by UK forces to marque definite they acted successful a harmless and non-threatening manner.

Commanding Officer of HMS Iron Duke Commander David Armstrong explained: "These were the 4th and 5th specified operations for HMS Iron Duke since we emerged from a play of aggravated grooming successful July, and I americium highly arrogant of the professionalism and selfless dedication that my ship’s institution consistently show arsenic they execute their duty.

"Maritime information operations of this quality are a cardinal capableness of the Royal Navy, with the extortion of our sovereign waters and captious nationalist infrastructure a cardinal focus."

In a abstracted operation, the RAF jets were launched nether NATO bid and worked intimately with the UK’s allies partners to show the craft arsenic they passed done planetary airspace.

Defence Secretary John Healey (Image: Getty)

Typhoons escorted the craft retired of the UK’s Flight Information Region and astatine nary clip did the Russian craft participate UK sovereign airspace.

Typhoons are portion of the RAF’s Quick Reaction Alert, which sees craft successful Scotland and England astatine high-readiness 24/7, 365 days a twelvemonth acceptable to support and support UK airspace.

Defence Secretary, John Healey MP said: "This authorities is committed to making the UK unafraid astatine location and beardown abroad. Efforts by the Royal Navy and RAF implicit the past 2 weeks show their selfless committedness to protecting our nationalist security.

"I’d similar to convey those members of our equipped forces who took portion successful this operation, their professionalism and accomplishment was connected afloat show portion moving seamlessly with our NATO allies to uphold planetary standards."