A Royal Navy warship was deployed to shadow a Russian submarine through the English Channel.

HMS Iron Duke monitored Kilo-class submarine Novorossiysk and its supporting tug Evgeny Churov as it passed through the Channel and the North Sea at the start of the month.

The Portsmouth-based frigate also shadowed two other Russian vessels with the help of another ship, HMS Tyne.

Alongside this, two RAF Typhoons scrambled to intercept two Russian Bear F aircraft on Wednesday.

The developments come at a time of high tension between the UK and Russia amid the war in Ukraine.

The Foreign Secretary has urged Britain and the US to give Ukraine the weapons it needs “to win” against Russia before a pivotal winter of fighting.

Ahead of Washington talks on long-range missile use, David Lammy told The Telegraph the coming months were “crucial” in helping Kyiv get in a winning position.

Talks between Sir Keir Starmer and Joe Biden, the US president, at the White House on Friday are expected to include discussions on whether to let Ukraine fire Storm Shadow missiles into Russia.

The shadowing of the Novorossiysk started at the beginning of September when Canadian warship HMCS Shawinigan escorted the submarine and its supporting vessel as they sailed from the Baltic and headed across the North Sea. 

The Canadian patrol ship handed over monitoring duties to the Royal Navy as the Russian vessels approached the busy Dover Strait.

From there, HMS Iron Duke ensured constant watch on the two vessels, using its Wildcat helicopter and 815 Naval Air Squadron. The submarine remained on the surface throughout the operation.

HMS Iron Duke then began shadowing two other vessels – the Steregushchiy-class corvette Stoiky and tanker MT Yaz – in the North Sea near Dover. It then handed over monitoring duties to patrol ship HMS Tyne off north-western France.

The journeys of the Russian ships are permitted under international law in accordance with the right of innocent passage.

Cdr David Armstrong, commanding officer of HMS Iron Duke, said: “I am extremely proud of the professionalism and selfless dedication that my ship’s company consistently displays as they perform their duty.

“Maritime security operations of this nature are a fundamental capability of the Royal Navy, with the protection of our sovereign waters and critical national infrastructure a key focus.”

In a separate incident on Wednesday, a pair of RAF Typhoons were sent from RAF Lossiemouth, supported by a Voyager from RAF Brize Norton, to intercept two Russian Bear F aircraft.

John Healey, Defence Secretary, praised the actions of both the Royal Navy and the RAF over the operations.

He said: “This Government is committed to making the UK secure at home and strong abroad. Efforts by the Royal Navy and RAF over the last two weeks demonstrate their selfless commitment to protecting our national security.

“I’d like to thank those members of our armed forces who took part in this operation, their professionalism and skill was on full display while working seamlessly with our Nato allies to uphold international standards.”