Russian battle ships sail up English Channel

A RUSSIAN aircraft carrier and a nuclear-powered battle cruiser have passed through the English Channel.

Picture: AP

They were part of a seven-strong group led by the Admiral Kuznetsov – Russia’s largest warship – that arrived in the Channel on Wednesday night.

Although they did not enter UK territorial waters, their movements were tracked by the Royal Navy destroyer HMS Dragon.

The ships are believed to have been returning to the Baltic after manoeuvres in the Mediterranean. It is not unusual for Russian warships to go through the Channel – the same group went in the opposite direction in December. But the latest incident took place against the backdrop of heightened tensions between the West and Russia over Ukraine.