Russian warships point their guns towards British soil in provocative display off the coast of Dover

Soldiers armed with automatic rifles and clad in bulletproof vests stared down fishermen and tourists desperate to catch a glimpse of the flotilla heading to Syria

The Russian flotilla, led by the Admiral Kuznetsov,
passes the White Cliffs of Dover today

     Machine guns at the ready, terrifying armed soldiers stare at Dover locals from on board a Russian military ship just off the British coast today.

     As these extraordinary photographs show, the Russian personnel were clad in bullet-proof vests and helmets as the pointed their automatic weapons towards English soil.

     The solders were patrolling the deck of the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov as pilots sat ready in nearby fighter jets, in a provocative display of Russian military might being closely watched by the British Royal Navy.

     Dover Marina wrote on its Facebook page: "Suffice to say, being overflown by jet aircraft at low altitude and watching HMS Duncan's helicopter take off, it was a great morning."

Some of the weaponry on one of the Russian ships as
 personnel keep watch today

     "There aren't really any words to describe it, so I won't even bother. Instead, I will leave you to enjoy the images."

     The flotilla of Russian warships was sailing down the English Channel today as tensions between Britain and Vladimir Putin reached breaking point.

     In overnight talks with EU leaders Theresa May blasted Putin for "undermining the West's efforts" to provide a political settlement in Syria as the horrific scenes in Aleppo play out.

     The international moves against Russia come as it's understood that the aircraft carrier Admiral Kuznetsov is on a course to sail through the North Sea and then the English Channel.

     At the same time, two other Russian corvettes, which are travelling north towards the UK from the direction of Portugal, are also set to be watched by the Navy.

     Two Royal Navy destroyers have been sent to meet them with a Ministry of Defence spokesman confirming it planned to "man-mark them every step of the way".

     Warship HMS Duncan sailed from Portsmouth on Tuesday to monitor the Kuznetsov task group, which is currently heading south from the Norwegian Sea towards the North Sea.

Armed guards carrying assault rifles protected the
aircraft carrier off Dover

     HMS Richmond has also escorted the group in the Norwegian Sea further north of the UK between Iceland and Norway.

     And HMS Dragon is also due to sail to meet two Russian corvettes travelling north towards the UK from the direction of Portugal.

     Warship HMS Duncan sailed from Portsmouth on Tuesday to monitor the Kuznetsov task group, which is currently heading south from the Norwegian Sea towards the North Sea.

     HMS Richmond has also escorted the group in the Norwegian Sea further north of the UK between Iceland and Norway.

     And HMS Dragon is also due to sail to meet two Russian corvettes travelling north towards the UK from the direction of Portugal.

     It is understood that shadowing ships is regular business for the Royal Navy, who have been supported by Royal Air Force surveillance aircraft on this occasion.

     Navy ships will continue to escort the Russian task group and provide a visible presence south through the North Sea and English Channel as the Russian fleet sail through and carry out their flying operations, the MoD said.

     The UK is working alongside NATO partners to monitor the warships passing the UK this week.

     All the while tensions are ratcheting up as Theresa May told European leaders they must act to stop Russia's appalling behaviour in Syria, amid fears some countries are dragging their feet.

     The Prime Minister urged the EU to send a "robust united message" to Moscow over its bombing campaign supporting Syrian dictator Bashar Assad.

     At a Brussels summit, Mrs May said the current assault on Aleppo was "particularly horrific" and Russia's actions had "undermined the West's efforts" to provide a political settlement.

Russian battlecruiser Pyotr Velikiy

     EU leaders agreed last night that they needed to remain united in policies towards Moscow.

     "Leaders emphasized all sorts of Russian hostilities from airspace violations to information campaigns, cyber attacks, interference into the political processes in the EU and beyond," sai EU summit chair Donald Tusk.

     "Given these examples, it is clear that Russia's strategy is to weaken the EU," he said.

     "Creating tensions with Russia is not our aim. We are simply reacting to steps taken by Russia. Of course the EU is always ready to engage in dialogue but we will not compromise our values or principles.

     "That is why we agreed to stay the course and above all to keep the unity of the EU," he said.

     EU leaders also agreed to consider all available options if Russian military continued to commit atrocities in Syria alongside the Syrian army.

     But the leaders stopped short of spelling out in their conclusions that these options included new sanctions against individuals and entities, as in the initial draft of the conclusions.