Britain's top nuclear sub has arrived in Gibraltar just hours after Vladimir Putin banned multiple UK politicians from entering Russia.
HMS Audacious is one of the country's newest submarines - and considered one of the world's most deadly.
The Astute class vessel is a hunter-killer designed for torpedoing enemy subs and ships, while also being capable of devastating pinpoint land attacks from 1,200km using Tomahawk cruise missiles.
It is capable of sustaining long missions without the need to surface due to its ability to produce oxygen and fresh water.
It arrived for its maiden visit to the British Overseas Territory and headland, on Spain's south coast, which is nicknamed The Rock, reports the Daily Express.
The 97-metre-long submarine docked alongside USS Georgia.
It comes days after the Kremlin's Black Sea fleet flagship Moskva sank while being towed after a fire.
Ukraine has claimed it struck the mammoth vessel with a missile and said it went down with up to 450 crew members on board.
That was swiftly followed by Russian President Putin barring British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and various other Cabinet members from ever stepping foot in his country.
The latest sanctions affect Johnson as well as Chancellor Rishi SUnak, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, Defence Secretary Ben Wallance, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, Home Secretary Priti Patel and Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab.
Russia's foreign ministry said in a statement: “In connection with the unprecedented hostile actions of the British government, expressed, in particular, in the imposition of sanctions against top officials of the Russian Federation, a decision was made to include key members of the British government and a number of political figures in the Russian 'stop list'.
“In the near future, this list will be expanded to include British politicians and parliamentarians who contribute to whipping up anti-Russian hysteria.”
The Kremlin had previously singled out Johnson as the “most active” opponent of the war in Ukraine.
The UK Foreign Office is yet to respond to the move.
However, a government spokesperson issued a statement denouncing the invasion of Ukraine, which has now gone beyond 50 days.
“It will lead to a foreign policy dead end,” they said.
Russia has not confirmed the death toll following the sinking of Moskva, but its Defence Ministry claimed last week the fire was not caused by a Ukrainian attack.
Russian military officials have given vague and contradictory statements after the sinking.
The Kremlin initially claimed all 510 seamen were evacuated, though has since reneged.
