Russia sparks Royal Navy alert as Putin sends seven warships to Channel and North Sea RUSSIA has sparked a Royal Navy alert during the coronavirus pandemic after seven Russian warships were spotted in the Channel and North Sea.

The Royal Navy said British wartime ships completed a "large scale operation" to monitor seven Russian ships following "unusually high levels of activity" off its coastline.The Royal Navy said: "As the Royal Navy prepares to help the NHS and other Government departments deal with the response to the coronavirus outbreak, nine British ships have been shadowing seven Russian vessels in waters around the UK.

The Navy has completed a concentrated operation to shadow the Russian warships after unusually high levels of activity in the English Channel and North Sea.

"Type 23 frigates HMS Kent, HMS Sutherland, HMS Argyll and HMS Richmond joined Offshore Patrol Vessels HMS Tyne and HMS Mersey along with RFA Tideforce, RFA Tidespring and HMS Echo for the large-scale operation with support from Nato allies.

It comes after three Russian warships were escorted out of the English Channel by a tiny Royal Navy patrol vessel back in February. 

HMS Mersey broke off from a fishery protection patrol to shadow the Russian spy ship Feodor Golovin, landing ship Alexander Ostrakovsky and tanker Yelnya----