london —
On Monday, Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s first day in office, a Russian naval vessel conducted an unusual live-fire exercise off the coast of Britain, the Ministry of Defense said.
The ship, identified by British media as the Neustrasmy, conducted the exercise in international waters about 40 nautical miles (46 miles) from the port city of Plymouth in southwestern England.
A Ministry of Defense spokesperson told CNN: “The Royal Navy monitored the entire exercise, continues to closely track the ship’s activities and stands ready to protect the UK’s national security.”
The incident coincides with Mr Burnham’s appointment and comes amid increased Russian naval activity near the British coast in recent months. Last month, Britain seized its first Russian Shadow Fleet tanker in the English Channel.
Britain’s new defense secretary, Wes Streeting, criticized Russia’s actions as “executive and irresponsible.”
“This is not the first time Russia has acted like this. Frankly, this is just the tip of the iceberg of the daily threats facing this country and our allies,” he told reporters on Tuesday.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov pointed to Burnham’s support for Kiev on Tuesday when responding to a question about the Russian ships’ recent exercises.
Asked whether there was a link between the appointment of the British leader and the timing of Monday’s exercises, Peskov told reporters: “There is no need to read any hints here.”
But it added: “Of course, the arrival of the new British Prime Minister…one of his first acts was to declare unconditional support for Ukraine. This also therefore indicates Britain’s intention to continue to do everything possible to continue the war.”
“This is a factor we will definitely consider,” Peskov said.
Mr Burnham vowed to continue “pressure” on Russia in a telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Monday. In the call, Mr Burnham reaffirmed Britain’s “firm commitment to the people of Ukraine and stressed that there will be no change in the UK’s approach, including to put pressure on Russia,” the spokesperson said.
Since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the Kremlin has repeatedly warned Britain and other allies in Kiev about their support for Ukraine.
Former British Army commander Richard Dannatt said on Tuesday that the exercise was a way for Russian President Vladimir Putin to show Russia “has the muscles to flex.”
“It is no coincidence that Russian warships chose to conduct live-fire exercises on the same day that Andy Burnham became Prime Minister,” Dannatt told Times Radio. “This is a demonstration by the Kremlin that we are here and we have power.”
According to CNN, ahead of Monday’s exercise, the Russian ship notified the British patrol vessel Tyne of its intention to conduct live-fire operations. It is unclear what type of weapon was used.
CNN also understands that the Russian ship asked Tine to move to a safer distance, which he complied with. The practice lasted 30 minutes.
Russia’s Ministry of Defense did not immediately comment on the report.
This is not the first time the presence of Russian vessels near the UK coastline has caused alarm. Last month, a Russian warship fired warning shots near a yacht in the English Channel, with former Prime Minister Keir Starmer describing the incident as “very worrying”.
Mr Starmer said in June: “That shouldn’t have happened. It was reckless. It must have been terrifying for the couple on the yacht.” A British Ministry of Defense spokesperson later said the warning shots were not directed at British ships, but were “an attempt to prevent a potential collision”.
Commenting on the recent movements of Russian warships near British waters, Vice Admiral Steve Moorhouse, Commander of the Royal Navy’s fleet, said in June: “In recent months, the Royal Navy has worked tirelessly to protect British waters in response to increased Russian naval activity.”
“Our sailors, ships and aircraft are constantly on the lookout, helping to keep the UK safe and reassure our allies,” Moorhouse added.
