Russian warship conducts live-fire drill 40 miles off Plymouth

A Russian frigate fired live artillery for 30 minutes in international waters about 40 nautical miles south of Plymouth while HMS Tyne shadowed it throughout. The Ministry of Defence said it was continuing to “track the vessel’s activity closely.”

British media identified the ship as the Russian Navy frigate Neustrashimy, and one BBC image caption described it as a long, grey vessel with the number 772 printed on the side in white. ITV News said the warship took part in the firing exercise on Monday, an episode described as rare so close to the British coast.

The drill took place off Devon in waters that sit under constant Royal Navy attention because of Russian naval activity near the UK. HMS Tyne, a Royal Navy Offshore Patrol Vessel, tracked the Neustrashimy’s movements throughout the operation as it moved through the area, underscoring the pace at which the navy is expected to spot, shadow and assess foreign warships in real time.

The timing sharpened the political edge of the encounter. Wes Streeting criticised the live-fire exercise around 40 nautical miles, or 46 miles, off the British coast, calling it “performative and irresponsible.” Lord Dannatt said it was “not entirely by happenstance” that a Russian warship fired weapons off the Plymouth coast on the first day of the new prime minister’s tenure.

The episode came amid broader concern about Russian naval activity near the UK and highlighted how quickly a brief firing drill can become a test of Britain’s coastal vigilance. In this case, the key facts were not only the weapons fire itself, but the Royal Navy’s ability to keep the frigate under watch in international waters, close enough to Plymouth to keep the incident in view across the southern approaches.