There are conflicting accounts of an unfriendly engagement between the British and Russian navies inside Russian territorial waters off the Crimean coast.

Russia’s Black Sea Fleet has launched naval combat exercises in the Black Sea after US and NATO warships entered the strategic waters to conduct joint drills.

Russian leader Vladimir Putin has responded to anti-Russia remarks by the newly-appointed MI6 Chief Richard Moore by dismissing the latter as inexperienced.

The Turkish president says his country has discovered 135 billion cubic meters of additional natural gas in the southern Black Sea.

A British Royal Navy destroyer is 'expelled' from waters off the Crimean coast by Russian warplanes and ships, a claim that has been denied by the UK.

Russia's Black Sea Fleet is closely monitoring the movements and activities of the Royal Navy's HMS Trent which entered the Black Sea earlier today.

Russia has accused the United States and NATO of “provocative activities” in the waters and the airspace of the strategic Black Sea.

As Russia and Ukraine edge closer to war the UK has signaled its intention to get more deeply involved by hosting the commander of the Ukrainian armed forces in London.

A British spy aircraft is dispatched to the Black Sea region to monitor Russian forces on the Ukrainian border, amid simmering tensions between Western countries and Russia over the Ukrainian conflict.

“This is a new proposal and it will be studied,” the Kremlin said.