Moment Putin warship opens fire off Plymouth as Royal Navy ups its campaign against the Russians menacing British waters

By WILL HALLOWELL, NEWS REPORTER Published: 14:00, 8 August 2026 | Updated: 14:01, 8 August 2026 These are the first pictures showing the moment a Russian warship opens fire off the coast of Plymouth.  Just one day after Andy Burnham became Prime Minister, the Russian frigate Neustrashimy conducted a live-fire exercise 40 miles south of the city on July 20.  Royal Navy ships were mobilised to monitor the vessel in the English Channel after it has 'repeatedly transited' UK waters to escort Moscow's shadow fleet oil tankers.  Now, images released by the Royal Navy show the moment Neustrashimy opens fire off the coast in what was thought to have been a 'warning' to Mr Burnham just 24 hours after he became PM.  Neustrashimy was shadowed by HMS Tyne, an offshore patrol vessel, while a French military aircraft also monitored the warship and made radio contact to request clarification of its intentions.  Before opening fire, the frigate informed HMS Tyne that it intended to conduct gunnery exercises and asked the Royal Navy patrol vessel to move to a safer distance, which it did. The live-fire drill lasted around 30 minutes and took place in international waters at around 9am on July 20.  Marine Nationale, the French navy, also released images of Neustrashimy stating its ships were tracking the Russian vessel across the region too.  The Russian warship Neustrashimy is pictured firing its naval guns in an exercise 40 miles off the English coast last month The vessel has 'repeatedly transited' UK waters to escort Russian shadow fleet oil tankers Marine Nationale, the French navy, has also been involved in operations tracking Neustrashimy A spokesperson said: 'In the North Sea, an offshore patrol vessel ensured the tracking of the Russian frigate Neustrashimy.  'This shadowing operation is part of the permanent surveillance of French and European maritime approaches. Neustrashimy's live-fire exercise came after Royal Marine Commandos boarded the Russian shadow fleet oil tanker Smyrtos in the English Channel in June, marking the first mission of its kind carried out by the UK Armed Forces. Video released by the Ministry of Defence showed helicopters intercepting the vessel off the Dorset coast on June 14 in the first operation of its kind.  The Royal Navy said on Saturday that it is 'stepping up' its monitoring of Russian movements in UK waters and the North Atlantic after the live-fire exercise.  Last month, British warships and helicopters spent 21 days on operations tracking Moscow's maritime activity in the region.  The Royal Navy said its own monitoring activity had increased 25 per cent across the first seven months of the year compared to 2025.  HMS Tyne, HMS Somerset, HMS Mersey and HMS Severn spent three weeks reporting Russian movements alongside Wildcat helicopters from 815 Naval Air Squadron and Merlin submarine hunting aircraft.  Neustrashimy was shadowed by HMS Tyne, an offshore patrol vessel. Pictured: A view of the Russian warship from a British vessel The live-fire drill lasted around 30 minutes and took place in international waters on July 20, just once day after Andy Burnham became Prime Minister  Neustrashimy's armaments include a 100mm gun, Kashtan CIWS, Kinzhal SAMs and Torpedoes Your browser does not support iframes. HMS Tyne was on duty when Neustrashimy conducted its live-fire exercise last month. The patrol ship moved to five nautical miles as the Russian vessel fired its armaments, including around 20 different shots from main 100mm armament and 30mm battery. Lieutenant Commander Sam Fields, Commanding Officer of HMS Tyne said: 'Through sustained presence and close cooperation with allies, HMS Tyne was ideally suited to this task, providing reassurance and monitoring while enabling other Fleet units to continue their operational commitments.' HMS Somerset, a Type 23 frigate, was deployed on a four-month operation in the North Atlantic to monitor surface and sub-surface movements by Russian ships using a 'powerful array' of underwater sensors and Merlin anti-submarine helicopters.  HMS Severn was deployed twice last month, first shadowing RFN Admiral Grigorovich as the frigate sailed eastwards from the island of Ushant on the French coast to Dover.  It then monitored Neustrashimy as it escorted shadow fleet tanker MV Vulkan from the Baltic, through the Dover Strait and towards Ushant, taking over from HMS Mersey.  HMS Severn and Mersey then handed over monitoring duties again as the Russian warship sailed westward towards Dover after escorting the Vulkan.  Earlier this year, Royal Navy vessels spent three months stalking Putin's warships as they sailed around the UK – including a frigate that fired on a British couple's yacht and loitered near a major windfarm. Five navy ships were involved in the monitoring of the Admiral Grigorovich, which fired warning shots at a yacht belonging to a British couple south of the Isle of Wight on June 16. The yacht Bright Future was being piloted by Jane Kelvey, 68, and husband Alan, 70, and was sailing from Britain to the north French coast. The couple said that as they came to around 500m from the frigate, they heard five blasts of a horn from the Admiral Grigorovich – followed seconds later by gunfire. It is believed the Russian ship fired up to five times.