A Russian warship conducted a live-fire artillery exercise approximately 40 nautical miles south of Plymouth on Monday. The Russian frigate Neustrashimy was closely monitored by the Royal Navy patrol vessel HMS Tyne. A French military aircraft also tracked the Neustrashimy and established radio contact to ascertain the vessel's intentions.
Before commencing its gunnery exercises, the Neustrashimy informed HMS Tyne of its plans and requested the patrol vessel move to a safer distance, which it did. The live-fire drill lasted approximately 30 minutes and occurred in international waters.
A Ministry of Defence spokesperson confirmed that the Royal Navy monitored the exercise and continues to track the vessel's activities. This event follows a previous operation in June where Royal Marine Commandos boarded a Russian "shadow fleet" oil tanker in the English Channel. That operation, involving coordination with French forces, was described as successful in deterring Russia.
The "shadow fleet" consists of over a thousand older tankers used to transport Russian oil and goods internationally, often by flying flags of other nations to evade Western sanctions implemented since the invasion of Ukraine. British forces have been involved in tracking such vessels for several years and have assisted in seizure operations conducted by other countries.