Royal Navy steams out to check Russian ship

HMS Sutherland, a Type 23 frigate, was sent from her base at Devonport, Plymouth, to the edge of the English Channel to meet the Vice Admiral Kulakov.

The Russian ship, an Udaloy class destroyer, was recently operating in the Eastern Mediterranean, and is now on her return journey, where she has been escorted by other Nato warships.

Royal Navy sailors were watching the ship through binoculars, and using radar to track her course and speed.

Commander Trish Kohn, Commanding Officer of HMS Sutherland, said: “This transit is being continually monitored through a co-ordinated response between the Royal Navy and our Nato partners.

“The transit of Russian ships from the Mediterranean to their northern ports is not unusual, but the Royal Navy is ready at all times to protect UK territorial waters.”

HMS Sutherland has been tasked with patrolling the seas around the UK since the summer.