These are the first pictures showing the moment a Russian warship opens fire off the coast of Plymouth.
Just one day after Andy Burnham became Prime Minister, the Russian frigate Neustrashimy conducted a live-fire exercise 40 miles south of the city on July 20.
Royal Navy ships were mobilised to monitor the vessel in the English Channel after it has 'repeatedly transited' UK waters to escort Moscow's shadow fleet oil tankers.
Now, images released by the Royal Navy show the moment Neustrashimy opens fire off the coast in what was thought to have been a 'warning' to Mr Burnham just 24 hours after he became PM.
Neustrashimy was shadowed by HMS Tyne, an offshore patrol vessel, while a French military aircraft also monitored the warship and made radio contact to request clarification of its intentions.
Before opening fire, the frigate informed HMS Tyne that it intended to conduct gunnery exercises and asked the Royal Navy patrol vessel to move to a safer distance, which it did.
The live-fire drill lasted around 30 minutes and took place in international waters at around
