𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

A Russian warship firing its weapons off the British coast on Monday was “performative and irresponsible”, new Defence Secretary Wes Streeting has said.

The Royal Navy monitored the exercise that was carried out about 40 nautical miles (46 miles) south of the Devon city’s shore on Monday.

Asked whether the activity by Moscow was a “message from Vladimir Putin to the new Prime Minister” Andy Burnham, Mr Streeting said: “We should see yesterday’s events as performative and irresponsible.

“It’s not the first time that Russia has behaved like this and frankly it’s the tip of the iceberg of the daily threats that this country faces and our allies face.

“And Russia should be in no doubt about the resolve of this Government and this Prime Minister, our resolve to stand against Russian aggression in Ukraine but also Russian aggression against all of our allies.”

Before firing rounds, the Russian ship informed HMS Tyne that it intended to conduct gunnery activity.

It asked the Royal Navy vessel to move to a safer distance, which HMS Tyne did, and then started its 30-minute exercise in international waters.

A Ministry of Defence spokesperson it “continues to track the vessel’s activity closely, and stands ready to protect UK national security”.

Lord Dannatt, chief of the British Army’s general staff between 2006 and 2009, on Tuesday told Times Radio that he believed it was another “illustration of the aggressive instinct” shown by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

This was “of course most clearly demonstrated by his attack on Ukraine” but Mr Putin “wants to demonstrate that Russia’s got muscles that it can flex and it’s not entirely by happenstance that that Russian warship chose to carry out a live-fire exercise on the same day that Andy Burnham became prime minister”.

He continued: “This is an indication from the Kremlin that ‘we’re here and we’re powerful, we’re strong, and what are you going to do about it?’ So it’s a challenge.”

Shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge said he only knows “a very sketchy amount” about the exercise but “in principle, obviously (it’s) very concerning” and “typical bravado from Putin”.

He added that it highlighted the need to increase defence spending.