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Russia says UK should investigate Royal Navy ship's 'dangerous' maneuvering

Wednesday, 23 June 2021 5:08 PM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 23 June 2021 5:26 PM ]

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Russia has called on Britain to investigate the "dangerous" actions of a Royal Navy ship that ignored a notice against intrusion in Russia’s territorial waters.

The Russian Defense Ministry said on Wednesday that the incident was a "gross violation of the UN convention" and called on London to "conduct a thorough investigation of the actions of the crew."

The ministry has summoned the British military attache in Moscow to protest the maneuvering.

The Interfax news agency earlier said a Russian warship had fired warning shots after the HMS Defender violated Russia's maritime borders in the Black Sea.

"The destroyer had been warned that weapons would be used if it trespasses the border of the Russian Federation. It did not react to the warning," the ministry said.

A Russian bomber also dropped four high explosive fragmentation bombs as a warning in the destroyer's path.

The British ship, which had ventured as many as three kilometers inside, left the Russian waters soon afterwards, it said.

Russia fires ‘warning shots’ at Royal Navy Destroyer

There are conflicting accounts of an unfriendly engagement between the British and Russian navies inside Russian territorial waters off the Crimean coast.

In a separate development, Moscow’s diplomatic mission in Washington reacted furiously to news that US sailors were set to take part in major war games close to Russia’s coastline in the Black Sea.

The Russian Embassy said, “the scale and aggressive nature of the ‘Sea Breeze’ exercises in no way helps with the real challenges of ensuring security in the Black Sea region.”

The NATO drills will “increase the risk of unintentional incidents” and simultaneously “encourage militaristic sentiments in Kiev,” the embassy said.

It also urged the United States and other NATO members “to refuse to practice military operations in the Black Sea.”

“Any problems in the region can be championed by Black Sea states without the need to ‘impose’ outside assistance.”

The war games will run from June 28 to July 10.

Media reports said Ukrainian forces would also take part in the drills. A spokesman for the US Sixth Fleet had previously said that Washington is “proud to partner with Ukraine in co-hosting the multinational maritime exercise.”

The Kremlin has already warned that the US and NATO are turning Ukraine into a “powder keg” by increasing arms supplies to Kiev and inflaming tensions in the country’s volatile east.

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