The Royal Navy saw off an encroaching Russian warship in the English Channel.

HMS Iron Duke, HMS Tyne, a Wildcat helicopter from 815 Naval Air Squadron, and RFA Tideforce monitored the movements of the Russian landing ships RFS Aleksandr Otrakovskiy and RFS Ivan Gren, along with merchant vessels Sparta, Sparta II, General Skobelev, and oiler Yelnya.

The six-vessel Russian group, which recently departed the Mediterranean, navigated the heavily trafficked international shipping lane en route to a Baltic port.

Commander David Armstrong, HMS Iron Duke's Commanding Officer, said: 'Whilst this particular Russian task group was not assessed to pose a specific threat to the UK, this closely coordinated operation demonstrates our steadfast determination to protect our nation's territorial seas and Critical National Infrastructure, on which our economic prosperity depends.

'It is not enough to hope passing non-allied warships will not threaten our maritime security – we will be there to make sure they can't,' he added.

Tyne's Executive Officer Lieutenant Matt Cavill said: 'This has been a particularly intense period for HMS Tyne.

'It is a credit to the team on board that they have been able to switch from the demands of delivering Navigation Training at Sea for the Royal Navy to shadowing Russian warships as they transit through UK waters.'