Russian warship carries out live-fire exercise in channel: UK

LONDON (AFP) — A Russian naval ship carried out a live-fire weapons exercise in international waters off southern England, Britain’s defense ministry said Tuesday.

The ship, in the channel around 40 miles south of the U.K. port of Plymouth, on Monday informed a British naval patrol vessel, HMS Tyne, of its intention to fire and asked it to move to a safer position, the ministry said: “The exercise was subsequently carried out in international waters and lasted for 30 minutes.”

The British Navy monitored the exercise and was continuing to track the vessel closely, the ministry added.

Newly appointed U.K. Defense Minister Wes Streeting described the incident as “performative and irresponsible,” at a news conference in London.

“Russia should be in no doubt about the resolve of this government and this prime minister, our resolve to stand against Russian aggression in Ukraine but also Russian aggression against all of our allies,” he added.

British media named the ship as the Neustrashimy, a frigate in Russia’s Baltic Fleet, noting the incident happened on the first day in office of Britain’s new prime minister, Andy Burnham.

In June a Russian warship fired warning shots to a yacht in the English Channel.

Russia said that boat was on a dangerous course and Britain’s defense ministry downplayed the incident at the time, insisting it was an “isolated” event “to prevent a possible collision.”

Russian warships are reportedly being used to escort tankers through the channel that are associated with Russia’s “shadow fleet” of sanctions-breaking ships.

Last month, around the time of the yacht incident, British armed forces intercepted a sanctioned Russian tanker in the first such U.K.-led operation.

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By Agence France-Presse