Russian ship fires warning shots at Royal Navy
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Moscow says shots were fired after British Royal Navy Defender entered its waters in the Black Sea.
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HMS Defender on 14 June in Istanbul on its way to the Black Sea. Photograph: Yoruk Isik/Reuters
Russia said its forces fired warning shots and dropped bombs to warn a British Royal Navy destroyer, accusing the ship of entering the Black Sea on Wednesday, which the United Kingdom denied.
The Russian defense ministry reported that HMS Defender “was given a preliminary warning that weapons would be used if the state borders of the Russian Federation were violated. It did not react to the warning”.
A border patrol ship fired warning shots while a SU-24 jet dropped four bombs to interfere with the HMS Defender’s path, forcing the British vessel to turn around, the ministry reported.
However, the UK Ministry of Defence denied Russia’s statement: “No warning shots have been fired at HMS Defender. The Royal Navy ship is conducting innocent passage through Ukrainian territorial waters in accordance with international law.”
The British defense attache in Moscow has been summoned regarding the incident, Russia’s TASS reported.
