Royal Navy and RAF track Russian vessels and bombers close to UK

Royal Navy warships have spent the past week shadowing the Russian Navy, the Ministry of Defence has announced.

The MOD said two RAF Typhoons, supported by a Voyager, were also scrambled on Wednesday to intercept two Russian Bear-F bomber aircraft operating near the UK.

HMS Iron Duke and HMS Tyne were deployed to monitor four Russian Navy vessels as they sailed through the Channel and the North Sea.

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Commanding Officer of HMS Iron Duke, Commander David Armstrong said: "These were the fourth and fifth such operations for HMS Iron Duke since we emerged from a period of intense training in July.

"I am extremely proud of the professionalism and selfless dedication that my ship's company consistently display as they perform their duty.

"Maritime security operations of this nature are a fundamental capability of the Royal Navy, with the protection of our sovereign waters and critical national infrastructure a key focus."

HMS Iron Duke shadowed the Russian Kilo-class submarine Novorossiysk and its supporting tug Evgeny Churov through the Dover Strait and into the Atlantic over a period of six days.

The Royal Navy took over the task from the Canadian Navy as they shadowed the Russian vessels from the Baltic and headed across the North Sea.

The submarine remained on the surface throughout the operation.

After the Russian vessels left UK waters, duties were handed over to the French frigate FS Auvergne.

HMS Iron Duke then returned immediately to the North Sea for a near carbon copy operation, the MOD said.

This time the vessel shadowed the Steregushchiy-class corvette Stoiky and tanker MT Yaz as it approached Dover, taking over shadowing duties from the Belgian Navy.

Iron Duke then handed over monitoring duties to patrol ship HMS Tyne off the north-west coast of France.

The Russian ships' journeys past the UK are permitted under international law.

The Bear-F aircraft were intercepted by Quick Reaction Alert Typhoons from RAF Lossiemouth - at no point did the bombers enter UK sovereign airspace.