A Russian frigate conducted a live-fire artillery exercise in international waters approximately 40 nautical miles south of Plymouth on Monday, underscoring a recent pattern of heightened Russian naval activity near British shores.
The Neustrashimy carried out the 30-minute drill as the Royal Navy monitored the vessel. The HMS Tyne repositioned to a safer distance at the Russian ship's request, while the destroyer HMS Duncan was also deployed to track the exercise. A French military aircraft made radio contact with the warship to clarify its intentions, and the UK Ministry of Defence said no threat to Britain existed at any point.
The incident is among several encounters with Russian vessels near UK waters this year, including the boarding of a shadow fleet oil tanker by Royal Marine Commandos in June.