Royal Navy’s interception of Russian warships in UK waters TRIPLES amid rising tensions with ‘sea bully’ Vladimir Putin

THE Royal Navy has tripled its interceptions of Russian warships in UK waters amid rising tensions with Vladimir Putin.

British ships headed out 31 times last year to track Moscow’s vessels but just 11 times in 2014 to combat “bully” Putin’s “sabre-rattling”.

By September this year, the Royal Navy had been called on 15 times to intercept Russian surface ships, a Freedom of Information request showed.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said last week that a quarter of the Navy’s 76-strong fleet is not seaworthy, putting missions in jeopardy.

Only three of the Navy’s six £1billion Type 45 destroyers are in service.

Admiral Lord West, former head of the Royal Navy, said: “Putin wants to deploy out of area. He believes in power.

“The only way to stand up to a bully like that is to show that you have a capability.

“We in the West, particularly in Europe, have reduced our power capability too much.

“He sees that and he says, ‘Here’s a little chink I can push against’. He is an opportunist.

“I don’t think he wants a war but he’s doing stupid things and sabre-rattling. It’s when people do that, that something kicks off.”

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