Another Russian warship is also said to have put the Royal Navy on high alert with one of Russia's Ropucha-class landing ships expected to pass through the English Channel in the coming days. The Royal Navy frigate HMS St Albans has been scrambled to intercept Russia’s Neustrashimyy-class battleship, which specialises in anti-submarine warfare

The Russian destroyer is thought to be on “Syria duty”, the Mirror reports . Commander John Cromie, commanding officer of HMS St Albans, said: “As the Royal Navy’s high readiness unit in UK waters we are the first responders.”

“Our activation today in response to the passage of a Russian warship close to the UK resulted in a cordial interaction between professional sailors based on the recognised conventions at sea. “We are always standing ready, as is the rest of the fleet, to defend UK waters and UK sovereignty 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.”

The encounter came after Downing Street blamed the Kremlin for poisoning former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter with the Soviet-era nerve agent Novichok earlier this month.
Russian frigate Yaroslav Mudry passes through the English Channel, and is shadowed by Royal Navy coastal defence ship HMS St Albans.