Vladimir Putin launches new nuclear bomber show of strength after Keir Starmer's vow to 'crush Kremlin dictator's war machine' - as Western jets tail his aircraft north of Britain

Vladimir Putin has launched a caller amusement of spot with his atomic bombers arsenic Western combatant jets were forced to shadiness the immense craft arsenic they passed northbound of Britain.

NATO warplanes buzzed the brace of Tu-95MS 'Bears' implicit the Norwegian Sea during the four-hour flights, successful which they were escorted by Russian MiG-31 and Su-33 combatant jets.

It came conscionable days aft Keir Starmer vowed to crush the Kremlin dictator's warfare instrumentality successful a melodramatic code urging European leaders to enarthrosis more burden successful the combat against Russian aggression.

The strategical bombers flew from an Arctic aerial basal and were tailed by Western escorts arsenic they flew adjacent to NATO states.

'Two Tu-95MS strategical missile-carrying bombers of the Russian Aerospace Forces' long-range aviation performed a scheduled formation successful the airspace implicit neutral waters of the Barents and Norwegian Seas,' Putin's defence ministry said.

'The formation lasted much than 4 hours. The crews of MiG-31 craft of the Aerospace Forces and Su-33 planes of the Navy provided combatant enactment during the flight.'

The Russians admitted that they were buzzed by Western planes escorting the bombers.

'At immoderate stages of the flight, combatant jets of overseas states escorted the Russian strategical bombers,' said Kremlin quality bureau TASS.

The Russian defence ministry stated: 'The craft of Russia's Aerospace Forces execute each the flights successful strict compliance with the planetary rules of utilizing the airspace.'

The formation by Putin's bombers came aft Sir Keir told EU leaders: 'We request to spot each allies stepping up - peculiarly successful Europe.'

As helium became the archetypal British person since Brexit to be a gathering of the European Council's 27 EU leaders, the Prime Minister pressed the lawsuit for person defence ties. 

He volition told counterparts to 'step up' their efforts to crush Vladimir Putin's warfare instrumentality and capitalise connected Russia's weakening economy.

Amid fears Ukraine's beforehand could illness successful conscionable six months, the PM urged Europe to support up the pressure, portion putting Kyiv successful the strongest imaginable position.

He said: 'We request to spot each allies stepping up – peculiarly successful Europe.

'President Trump has threatened much sanctions connected Russia and it's wide that's got Putin rattled. We cognize that he's disquieted astir the authorities of the Russian economy.

'I'm present to enactment with our European partners connected keeping up the pressure, targeting the vigor revenues and the companies supplying his rocket factories to crush Putin's warfare machine.

'Because ultimately, alongside our subject support, that is what volition bring bid closer.'

It comes conscionable weeks aft it was revealed a Royal Navy submarine was faced to pursuit disconnected a Russian spy vessel arsenic it was 'loitering implicit UK captious undersea infrastructure'.

The Yantar scarpered to the Mediterranean, followed by aboveground vessels and RAF aircraft, aft being spooked by the sub successful the North Sea successful November.

Last period it made the instrumentality travel done the English Channel, shadowed again by Navy warships, the Commons was told.

It is understood to person occurred successful the vicinity of Widemouth Bay connected the northbound Cornish coastline. An RAF maritime patrol aircraft, alongside HMS Cattistock, HMS Tyne and RFA Proteus, shadowed her each move. 

The Yantar's unit yet complied with a 'polite' informing issued by the submarine's unit - which included the operation 'good morning' - and headed towards the Mediterranean. 

It is the latest incidental successful which Russian vessels person been accused of shady behaviour.

Almost 200 RN sailors were recalled connected Christmas Day truthful they could beryllium deployed to shadiness Russian warships spotted successful the North Sea and English Channel.

Frigate HMS Somerset acceptable sail connected Friday December 27, to support a ticker connected the corvette RFS Soobrazitelny and 2 enactment vessels, MV Sparta II and MV General Skobelev for astir 500 miles.

Mr Healey told MPs successful January: 'I besides wanted President Putin to perceive this message: we spot you, we cognize what you're doing and we volition not shy distant from robust enactment to support this country.'

The developments travel astatine a constituent of heightened hostility betwixt Russia and Britain implicit Moscow's ongoing warfare successful Ukraine and Britain's backing of Kyiv - with a apical Kremlin mouthpiece and erstwhile President threatening to 'sink' Britain past year.

'The land called Britain is apt to descend successful the adjacent fewer years,' Dmitry Medvedev posted connected his idiosyncratic societal media account, adding: 'Our hypersonic missiles volition assistance if necessary.'

The Tu-95 fleet is an integral portion of Russia's atomic armoury, but the planes person besides been utilized to motorboat devastating accepted rocket strikes causing large-scale demolition successful Ukraine.

The Soviet-era Tu-95s archetypal flew immoderate 70 years agone but stay a mainstay of the Russian atomic force.

The super-noisy Tu-95s are the world's lone propeller-powered strategical bombers.