Royal Navy monitors Russian warships off the east coast of Scotland

The Royal Navy has kept close watch as four Russian ships sheltered from rough weather in the seas off the east coast of Scotland.

Patrol ship HMS Tyne monitored two warships and an intelligence gathering vessel as they carried out replenishment operations with their supporting tanker.

The Russian Navy ships sailed into the Moray Firth to shelter from rough weather as they travelled through the North Sea close to UK territorial waters.

There, Tyne kept a close eye as they refuelled ahead of continuing with their journey.

The group of Russian ships included the Udaloy-class destroyer Vice-Admiral Kulakov, Vishnya-class intelligence gathering ship Viktor Leonov, Steregushchy-class frigate Steregushchy and the tanker Akademik Pashin.

HMS Tyne’s Executive Officer, Lieutenant Nick Ward, said: “HMS Tyne routinely shadows Russian warships transiting in and around the UK’s waters.

“This operation, like many others, again demonstrates that the Royal Navy stands ready to protect the UK’s sovereignty every day of the year, in any weather.”

The Portsmouth-based warship’s is part of the Royal Navy’s commitment to protect the territorial integrity of the United Kingdom.

In that role she also recently carried out a separate operation in which the Viktor Leonov and supporting tanker Sergey Osipov sheltered from Storm Aiden and carried out replenishment operations, again in the Moray Firth.