Russia has boasted its frigate armed with “unstoppable” hypersonic missiles passed the narrowest point of the English Channel after it was spotted near to the UK coast
The Admiral Gorshkov vessel was escorted by the Royal Navy as it sailed through the North Sea travelling in a southerly direction.
It crossed the narrowest part of the English Channel, the Strait of Dover, Moscow defence ministry claimed.
In a statement it said: "The frigate will soon continue to accomplish its missions in designated parts of the Atlantic."
Vladimir Putin personally took part in the farewell ceremony when the warship departed from Arctic naval base Severomorsk on a voyage that will also take in the Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean.
When it departed the Russian president boasted that the West could not match his “latest-generation” hypersonic firepower.
He said: "It has no equivalent in any country in the world.
“I am sure that such a powerful weapon will allow us to reliably protect Russia from potential external threats and help ensure our country's national interests.”
The Gorshkov is for the first time carrying deadly nuclear-capable 6,670mph Zircon - or Tsirkon - missiles with a 625 mile range in a significant challenge to the West, as well as Kalibr missiles.
Earlier the guided missile frigate staged war games in the Norwegian Sea “repelling a simulated enemy’s air strikes”.
Royal Navy Type 23 frigate, HMS Portland, monitored the Russian warship and an accompanying tanker Kama as the vessels sailed close to the UK.
HMS Portland’s commanding officer Commander Ed Moss-Ward was quoted as saying: “Escorting warships in UK territorial waters and the adjacent sea areas is routine activity for the Royal Navy.
“By maintaining a visible and persistent presence, the Royal Navy ensures compliance with maritime law and deters malign activity to protect our nation’s interests.
“Escorting the Russian task group alongside forces from our NATO allies has demonstrated the UK’s commitment to the alliance and to maintaining maritime security.”
Moscow has boasted that the Gorshkov is “the most dangerous enemy of surface ships in the world’s oceans” now it is armed with the new hypersonic missile.
The frigate’s captain Igor Krokhmal has said previously: “No one will see the missile launch or its flight.
“They will only see when the missile hits the target.
“A surface target, a coastal target. I don't think there will be anything to counter this in the next few years.”
