Royal Navy catches up with Russian warships to 'keep an eye' on Putin's fleet sailing along the Channel

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The Royal Navy has escorted a squadron of Russian warships sailing through the English Channel.

Four ships passed through the through the Strait of Dover after carrying out military exercises in the North Sea.

HMS Tyne, 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 group led by Russian aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov as it approached the UK.

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This Ministry of Defence pictures taken from HMS Tyne shows a Russian supply vessel in the Channel

A Russian AOR supply vessel, A Ropucha class landing ship and a Udaloy-1 class destroyer pictured from HMS Tyne in international waters today

The Russian navy anti-submarine ship Severomorsk (BPK 619) was also among the group sailing along the Channel (library photo)

The Ministry of Defence stressed that it was in accordance with international law, but comes at a time of heightened tension between Britain and Russia.

David Cameron has insisted he does not want a 'confrontational relationship' but has warned of further sanctions against Moscow if it fails to back in Ukraine.

Russian destroyer Severomorsk, a landing craft, a rescue tugboat and a tank ship anchored in the Bay of the Seine, off the coast of northern France, to wait out a storm, according to a Russian defence ministry statement reported by local news agencies.

The Royal Navy was aware of the ships' presence and HMS Tyne monitored and escorted the squadron as it moved from the North Sea on Tuesday down through the Strait of Dover, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said.

Patrol ship HMS Tyne finished shadowing the Russian vessels after they passed out of the UK's area of responsibility into the French zone.

It is understood that the Russian vessels complied with all maritime reporting regulations and defence sources said they expected the ships to head to the Mediterranean.

An MoD spokesman said: 'We are aware that four Russian naval ships have passed through the Dover Strait from the North Sea into the English Channel, which all ships have the right to do under international law.

'The ships were escorted by the Royal Navy warship HMS Tyne as part of her UK maritime security role and have now left UK waters.'

A naval source told the Telegraph: 'It's not provocative but we are keeping an eye on them.' 

Prime Minister David Cameron has insisted he does not want a 'confrontational relationship' with Russia, but has warned Vladimir Putin he must back down in Ukraine

The Russians ships' presence comes at a time of heightened tension between Moscow and the West and follows a G20 summit at which Vladimir Putin came under international pressure over the Ukraine crisis.

France's president Francois Hollande this week suspended the planned delivery of a warship to Russia, citing the 'current situation' in eastern Ukraine.

The Vladivostok, the first of two Mistral-class helicopter carriers ordered by Russia, was due to be delivered as part of a controversial 1.2 billion euro (£950 million) contract.

It is not unusual for Russian ships to pass through the English Channel but they are usually monitored by Royal Navy vessels as they do so.

In May a Russian aircraft carrier and a nuclear-powered battle cruiser passed through the English Channel as part of a seven-strong task group, with Royal Navy destroyer HMS Dragon tracking their movements.