RUSSIA FIRED WARNING SHOTS AT ROYAL NAVY SHIP, BRITAIN DENIES

Wed 23 June 2021:

Russia has stopped a British Royal Navy destroyer that it said was violating its waters, the Russian Defense Ministry announced on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, the ministry announced that the Black Sea Fleet and the border security forces expelled the UK Navy’s Defender destroyer that entered Russia’s territorial waters. The UK embassy’s attache was summoned to the Russian Defense Ministry.

“The dangerous actions of the British Navy destroyer are regarded by the Russian Ministry of Defense as a gross violation of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea,” the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry also called on the UK side to conduct a thorough investigation of the incident.

“The Russian Defense Ministry … calls on the British side to conduct a thorough investigation of the actions of the crew of the Defender destroyer,” the ministry said, adding that the crew did not respond to warnings in accordance with the law of the sea

The UK destroyer was warned of the possible use of weapons if it fails to leave Russian territorial waters, the ministry added.

Britain denies

Britain’s Ministry of Defence has denied that one of its vessels was shot at by Russian navy near Crimea.

In a statement on Wednesday the MoD said one of its ships had been “conducting innocent passage through Ukrainian territorial waters” and that no shots were directed at it.

“We believe the Russians were undertaking a gunnery exercise in the Black Sea and provided the maritime community with prior-warning of their activity,” the MoD said in a 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.

— Ministry of Defence Press Office (@DefenceHQPress) June 23, 2021

The UK ambassador in Moscow has not yet been summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry.

“As I speak now, our ambassador has not been summoned. Obviously, this is a few minutes afterwards but, as I speak, no,” Wallace told a parliamentary committee.

Citing the conflicting reports between London and Moscow, the defense secretary said that the UK has dealt with what he called “misinformation” from Russia regularly.

“These are the things that come and go with Russia – disinformation, misinformation is something we have seen regularly. We are not surprised by it,” Wallace added.

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