Strong circumstantial evidence suggests that a Royal Navy warship is currently escorting two Russian Navy vessels in the English Channel. The approach of the Russian vessels, a submarine and a naval tug, was reported in Forbes yesterday. At that time the Royal Navy escort did not appear to be in place.

Royal Navy warships shadowed the progress of a four-strong Russian task group as it sailed up the Channel and into the North Sea, the service said last week.

Royal Navy HMS Westminster Type 23 frigate shadowed a Russian destroyer through the English Channel, the service press office stated on June 21.