The bear in our backyard: Return of the Cold War as Royal Navy confronts Russian aircraft carrier group in the English Channel for the first time in years

• Admiral Kuznetsov, Russia's largest warship, led six other vessels through the Channel last night
• A Royal Navy destroyer, HMS Dragon, was dispatched from Portsmouth to escort the task group
• 'Routine' passage comes amid period of heightened tension over troubles in Ukraine
• It came on the same day Russian president Vladimir Putin oversaw simulation of nuclear missile launches
  

By Sam Webb

Published: 11:59 EDT, 8 May 2014 | Updated: 16:37 EDT, 8 May 2014

A Russian aircraft carrier and and a nuclear-powered battle cruiser have passed through the English Channel - escorted by a British warship.

The seven-strong naval task group led by the Admiral Kuznetsov, Russia's largest warship, entered the Channel last night, a Royal Navy spokesman said.

Although the ships did not enter UK territorial waters, their movements were tracked by the Royal Navy destroyer HMS Dragon - the duty fleet-ready escort vessel - which was dispatched from Portsmouth.

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Escort: HMS Dragon (foreground) with the Russian aircraft carrier 'Admiral Kuznetsov', in the English Channel. HMS Dragon tracked and met up with a Russian task group off the coast of Brest as they entered the English Channel yesterday

Watching: HMS Dragon, a Type 45 destroyer and one of the Royal Navy's most technically advanced warships, was able to pinpoint and monitor the movement of the seven-strong group as it approached the UK

The military manoeuvre came on the same day as president Vladimir Putin oversaw nuclear test launches in Russia.

Three inter-continental ballistic missiles were launched at test sites in the remote east of Russia, in what the military said was a test run for massive nuclear retaliation should Russia or its allies be attacked.

The ships, which are currently being escorted by the Navy, are believed to have been returning to the Baltic after manoeuvres in the Mediterranean. They are headed for a naval base in Severomorsk in the north-west of Russia.

It is not unusual for Russian warships to pass through the Channel - the same group went through in the opposite direction in December.

At no point have the ships entered the UK's territorial waters - which extend 12 nautical miles from the coast of the country. However, according to a UN treaty on sea passage, there is no reason military vessels should not be allowed through so long as they do not threaten the peace or security of a country.

The Voice of Russia website - which often carries details of Russian naval movements - reported last month that they were due to return.

However the latest passage took place against the backdrop of heightened tensions between the West and Russia over Ukraine.

A Royal Navy spokesman said: 'We can confirm that HMS Dragon was activated as the fleet-ready escort vessel. She met the task group centred around the Admiral Kuznetsov.'

HMS Dragon (background) with the Russian Kirov Class battlecruiser 'Pyotr Velikiy'

HMS Dragon (right) with the Russian Ropucha Class Landing Ship 'Minsk' (left), in the English Channel

Mark Francois, Minister for the Armed Forces, said: 'This routine action by HMS Dragon, in her capacity as the Fleet Ready Escort, once again underlines the professionalism and credibility of the Royal Navy in keeping the whole of the UK secure at and from the sea.'

Captain Rex Cox, commanding officer of HMS Dragon said: 'Following our recent activation HMS Dragon has once more monitored a Russian task group through the UK's areas of interest. This is very much routine business both for HMS Dragon and for the Royal Navy.

'What is different here is that a Russian task group of this size has not passed by our shores in some time. Cutting edge, extremely capable and very versatile, a Type 45 Destroyer, such as HMS Dragon, is the ideal ship for the job.'

Defence Secretary Philip Hammond said the deployment of HMS Dragon was part of a pre-planned operation.

'The decision was taken about 10 days ago when we first knew of the Kuznetsov's planned route. These movements are pre-planned. We are notified of them in advance,' he said at a Westminster lunch for political journalists.

Pride of the navy: The above two photographs show former Russian president (now prime minister) Dmitri Medvedev inspecting the Admiral Kuznetsov in 2008

Once the ships spotted each other they briefly sailed close by as a standard 'meet and greet'

He said that HMS Dragon had taken over from a French destroyer which tracked the Russian flotilla through the Bay of Biscay and would hand over to a Norwegian warship.

While he stressed that the passage of the Russian ships was 'routine business' for the Navy, he said there had been a resurgence of Russian military air activity in recent years.

He said that was a reflection of something which a lot of people have chosen to miss, which is that Russia has been investing very substantially for many years in renewing its fleets, rebuilding its military capability.

'Russia is a very significant military power and that is something which all too often seems to get forgotten.'

HMS Dragon is the fourth of six Type 45 Destroyers which have entered service over the past five years – the most advanced warships the nation has ever built.

Surveillance: Planes were launched by the RAF to determine the identity of two unknown aircraft seen approaching the NATO Air Policing Area north of Scotland. They were identified as Russian Tu-95s

In April an RAF Typhoon closed in on a Russian surveillance plane after it flew close to UK airspace, before making it turn back.

A photograph of the Russian Tu-95 'Bear H' was taken from one of the RAF's Quick Reaction Aircraft after two Russian planes were spotted off the coast of north-east Scotland.

However, the aircraft turned away after the British jet fighters, one which can be seen approaching the Russian plane from above, took off from Leuchars airbase, near St Andrews in Fife.

Planes were launched by the RAF to determine the identity of two unknown aircraft seen approaching the NATO Air Policing Area north of Scotland, which could not be identified by other means.

The aircraft were later identified as Russian Bears, which the Ministry of Defence said remained in international airspace, as they are entitled to do.