Kathrine Frich
Firing big guns in that area remains highly unusual.
Living by the sea usually means dealing with shifting weather.
But sometimes, a sudden disturbance on the horizon has absolutely nothing to do with Mother Nature.
The loud rumble off the coast this week proved it.
A loud warning
Just 46 miles off the British coast, a Russian warship decided to test its weapons. The Neustrashimy carried out a live-fire artillery drill on Monday in the waters south of Plymouth, according to Sky News. The sudden activity echoed across the English Channel.
Before the shooting started, HMS Tyne trailed the foreign vessel closely. In a rare move, the Russian crew radioed the British ship to ask it to move away. The Royal Navy quickly obliged.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence confirmed the timeline. “A Russian naval vessel shadowed by the Royal Navy conducted a live-fire weapons exercise in international waters approximately 40 nautical miles south of Plymouth yesterday,” the official stated.
Message to the boss
Firing big guns in that area remains highly unusual, a defence source told Sky News. And the specific timing of the drill? It raised eyebrows everywhere, mainly because it happened on the exact day Andy Burnham took office as prime minister.
Many observers suspect the stunt was fully deliberate. To some, the Kremlin simply wanted to send a noisy greeting to the new British leader. Meanwhile, the unexpected disruption will surely land on the desk of Wes Streeting, the newly appointed defence secretary, as he begins his very first day.
For thirty minutes, the weapons fired into the open water. After the short drill ended, the heavily armed frigate packed up and continued its broader mission. That was it.
Guarding the fleet
This warship is not sailing the channel for fun. Right now, Moscow uses the Neustrashimy to escort its controversial shadow fleet of oil tankers through the busy waterway. Helicopters even filmed the vessel refuelling in the North Sea recently, Sky News reported.
Tensions in these waters have boiled over repeatedly. Just last month, British forces seized a Russian tanker near the Isle of Wight after it violated international sanctions. Former prime minister Keir Starmer previously authorized these intercepts.
Through it all, the British military promises to maintain an active watch. “The Royal Navy monitored that exercise throughout, continues to track the vessel’s activity closely, and stands ready to protect UK national security,” the Ministry of Defence concluded.
Sources: Sky News, Ministry of Defence
