A Russian warship has been caught spying on Britain's missile defences by the Royal Navy.
Yuri Ivanov, one of Putin's so-called research ships, was spotted lurking in waters off the Outer Hebrides during a live drill on how to shoot down a Russian-style missile.
It is believed it was trying to watch the NATO exercise known as Formidable Shield, which saw the firing of a £1million Sea Viper missile at a target.
The test, which involved HMS Dragon, one of the Navy's most powerful ships, was designed to simulate Moscow’s formidable hypersonic weapons.
The Sea Viper obliterated the incoming missile - with the Navy hailing the live drill as a 'huge moment'.
