The British Royal Navy destroyer HMS Defender
MOSCOW, June 24 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Russia’s Black Sea Fleet and Federal Security Service have expelled a British warship that violated the country’s territorial waters, the Russian Defense Ministry’s Zvezda broadcasting service reported.
The British destroyer HMS Defender crossed Russia’s border in the northwestern part of the Black Sea at 11:52 a.m. after going 3 km beyond the sea border in the area of Cape Fiolent, it said.
The British vessel ignored warnings on the possible use of weapons from the Russian side, causing a Russian border patrol ship to fire warning shots, it added.
At 12:19 p.m. Moscow time (0919 GMT), Russia’s Black Sea Fleet Su-24M aircraft dropped bombs along the destroyer’s path as a warning.
The British warship left the Russian territorial waters at 12:23 p.m. local time (0923 GMT).
Later on Wednesday, the British Defense Ministry reportedly denied “the claim” that warning shots were fired against a British Navy ship in the Black Sea, and it believed that Russia was conducting gunnery exercises there.
“No warning shots have been fired at HMS Defender,” the British Defence Ministry tweeted, saying the warship was “conducting innocent passage” through Ukrainian territorial waters in accordance with international law.
The HMS Defender was traveling across the Black Sea from Ukraine to Georgia, two former Soviet republics that have both been invaded by Russia and are seeking NATO membership.
“We believe the Russians were undertaking a gunnery exercise in the Black Sea and provided the maritime community with prior-warning of their activity. No shots were directed at HMS Defender and we do not recognize the claim that bombs were dropped in her path,” the British ministry said.
The Russian Defense Ministry says the incident with the HMS Defender occurred off Cape Fiolent, near the port of Sevastopol, the Russian Black Sea Fleet’s main base. In a statement, the Russian ministry said the “dangerous actions” of the British destroyer were a “gross violation” of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and asked Britain to conduct a “thorough” investigation.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted that Russia’s “aggressive and provocative actions,” as well as its “militarization of Crimea,” posed a lasting threat to Ukraine and its allies. “We need a new quality of cooperation between Ukraine and NATO allies in the Black Sea,” he said.
The HMS Defender is one of the Royal Navy’s most advanced warships. Earlier this week, the destroyer called on the Ukrainian port of Odessa, where Britain pledged to provide Ukraine with two minesweepers and to help build new patrol boats.
Ukraine is struggling to rebuild its naval forces. Ukraine’s navy estimated it lost at least 80% of its assets and capabilities after Russia’s annexation of Crimea.
Ukraine is reliant on American military assistance. Next week, the U.S. Navy will co-host the annual Sea Breeze exercises in the Black Sea, involving 5,000 troops, 32 ships and 40 aircraft from 32 countries.
RIA Novosti, a Russian state news agency, played up the incident as a victory for Russia, running with the headline: “Navy and air force expel NATO destroyer violating border in Black Sea. — NNN-AGENCIES
