Russian Warships Monitored In English Channel

Britain is keeping an eye on Russian warships that entered the English Channel.

The Russian navy's Northern Fleet said the destroyer Severomorsk and two other vessels entered the Channel on April 14 on their way to the North Atlantic for anti-aircraft and anti-submarine drills.

The British Royal Navy said it was observing the activities of the Russian ships as they entered the body of water between England and France.

Officials from the British Defense Ministry said that they had not observed any exercises.

Russian warships are a common sight in the Channel, but the naval moves come amid heightened tension over Moscow's interference in Ukraine and its military activity near NATO nations.

In late January, two Russian long-range bombers flew over the English Channel, disrupting civilian air flights.

The United States protested after a Russian fighter jet made an "unsafe and unprofessional" approach to a U.S. reconnaissance plane over the Baltic Sea on April 7.

Based on reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP