Russian Navy evinces great interest in UK's HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier

Russian warships intercepted the largest flotilla of the Royal Navy, British media report.

UK's largest naval flotilla in the past forty years, led by HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier, went to sea and was immediately intercepted by Russian spy ships. Combat units of the Russian Navy prepared in advance for the encounter with the state-of-the-art aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy of Great Britain, The Daily Express reports.

"The largest naval flotilla for 40 years led by Britain's newest carrier set sail yesterday for a seven-month world odyssey to showcase the nation's "defence, diplomacy and prosperity," The Daily Express wrote.

The aircraft carrier group of the British fleet had ten ships with 3,700 sailors, pilots and marines on board. The flotilla will take part in the Strike Warrior naval exercise, and will also visit several dozen countries in the coming months. However, as soon as the British ships went to sea, it turned out that they had a company of Russian spy ships.

Two Russian reconnaissance ships were spotted in the waters off North Scotland in early May as they were supposedly collecting information about the flagship of the Royal Navy, HMS Queen Elizabeth. Analysts suggested that the Russians could be interested in fifth-generation F-35B fighters based on the aircraft carrier.

"UK's new aircraft carrier was intercepted by Russian spy ships just hours after setting sail," the publication said.

The reconnaissance ships, presumably of the Northern Fleet of the Russian Navy, were spotted by US Navy P8 patrol aircraft. Military experts believe that the spy ships of the Russian fleet will accompany the British aircraft carrier group throughout the voyage.