Royal Navy warships have shadowed a Russian submarine as it passed through waters off the Kent coast.

HMS Tyne and HMS Mersey were called to watch the movement of the sub as it passed through the English Channel.

The French navy had been tracking the Kilo-class attack submarine, Krasnodar, on its journey through the Bay of Biscay.

The sub, which was built for the soviet Navy in the 1980s, has been conducting a surfaced transit from the Eastern Mediterranean, with its ocean-going tug Sergey Balk in support.

HMS Tyne, which is based in Portsmouth, picked up the Krasnodar at the south-western end of the channel, and covered it as it passed by the coast off Folkestone.

Her sister ship HMS Mersey took over tracking duties as the Russians headed through the Strait of Dover and into the North sea on Monday.

Lieutenant Justin Shirtcliff, HMS Tyne’s Operations Officer, said: "Tyne responded in a coordinated effort with allies to shadow the Russian submarine and her escort while transiting the English Channel.

“This routine undertaking is an enduring task for the Royal Navy, in which Tyne and her sister ships of the Royal Navy’s Overseas Patrol Squadron play a key role."

Lieutenant Commander Will Edwards-Bannon, HMS Mersey’s Commanding Officer, said: "It has been impressive to see, first-hand, the seamless coordination between allied ships and aircraft from various nations involved in this operation.

"I am very proud of the disciplined way in which my ship’s company has responded to the challenge of maintaining our readiness for operations through the challenges of Covid-19 which, along with the support we receive from our families, has enabled Mersey to once again successfully play our part in protecting our nation’s interests."

Gallery1

Read more: All the latest news from Kent