A Russian naval vessel conducted an unusual live-fire exercise in the English Channel on Monday, according to a statement released by the British Ministry of Defence on Tuesday.
The incident took place approximately 40 nautical miles south of Plymouth, on the same day that Andy Burnham was sworn in as Mayor of Greater Manchester. The frigate “Neustraschimy” unexpectedly announced that it would be firing its onboard weaponry. It demanded that a British escort vessel tracking it position itself at a safe distance.
Consequently, the patrol boat “HMS Tyne” altered course, allowing the Russian unit to complete a half-hour shooting training exercise in international waters south of Britain at 9:30 local time.
This exercise is rare, as maneuvers of this nature, especially those announced abruptly in international waters near another country, are typically scheduled well in advance. While the operation is fundamentally legal, the specific weapons used during the training were not disclosed.
This is not the first time Russian warships have been spotted near Britain this year. Just the previous month, a different frigate, the “Admiral Grigorowitsch,” fired warning shots close to a British sailing yacht south of the Isle of Wight.
