Nearly 200 Royal Navy sailors were recalled to their ship on Christmas Day to shadow Russian warships - and the frigate was spotted off the Kent coast.

The crew of HMS Somerset set sail on Friday December 27, to keep a watch on the corvette RFS Soobrazitelny and two support vessels, MV Sparta II and MV General Skobelev for 500 miles in the North Sea and through the English Channel.

The Russian ships remained in international waters until December 31 when Somerset finished shadowing them.

HMS Somerset was spotted sailing off the Kent coast near Sheerness. It was originally thought to be HMS Queen Elizabeth due to information on marine trackers.

But today a spokesman for the Ministry of Defence confirmed it was HMS Somerset that was seen.

He said the Type 23 frigate was due to dock in Kent last night but those plans had changed. He added that she was last located off the coast near Margate and was continuing on with her routine sailing.

HMS Somerset has been deployed 12 times on operations since she was commissioned, and her specialisms include fleet ready escort tasking and anti-submarine operations.

With conditions in the Channel and North Sea foggy, aside from visually monitoring the Russian ships’ progress, HMS Somerset has used her extensive suite of hi-tech sensors to follow the trio for more than 500 miles.

The Russian force was encountered in the North Sea from where it has been constantly monitored as it passed through the Dover Strait and into the English Channel.

When the weather has cleared, the ship’s Merlin helicopter – provided by 814 Naval Air Squadron at RNAS Culdrose in Cornwall – has been airborne to support the monitoring mission and also capture imagery of both the Russian vessels and HMS Somerset’s shadowing operation.

HMS Somerset’s Commanding Officer Commander Joel Roberts said that – as it always has been – the Royal Navy remained prepared and committed to safeguarding the UK, holiday season or not.

“As the UK is an island nation, at all times of the year the Royal Navy maintains units at very high readiness to conduct operations in support of the UK’s national objectives.

“Maintaining maritime security, demonstrating an assertive presence, ensuring compliance with maritime law, and deterring malign activity in our territorial and adjacent waters are essential components of our maritime strategy and crucial to our national interests.”