A Royal Navy warship was deployed to shadow a Russian submarine through the English Channel. HMS Iron Duke monitored Novorossiysk, a Kilo-class submarine, and Evgeny Churov, its supporting tug, as it passed through the Channel and the North Sea at the start of the month.

A BRITISH warship has been dispatched to the English Channel to stalk four Russian vessels including an attack submarine. And RAF jets were scrambled to intercept two Russian aircraft as tensions

Defence Secretary John Healey said the Royal Navy and RAF were "demonstrating their selfless commitment to protecting our national security".

The RAF jets were scrambled to intercept a Russian aircraft 'operating near the UK' , the MoD confirmed, just days after the Royal Navy followed submarines which had entered the English Channel

The developments come at a point of heightened tension between Russia and Britain over Moscow's ongoing war in Ukraine and Britain's backing of Kyiv