Russia Claims ‘Warning Shots’ Fired Near UK Warship; London Denies

UK said it did not recognise assertions that bombs were put in its path.

File photo of HMS Defender.

(Photo Courtesy: Twitter/UK in Ukraine)

Russia on Tuesday, 22 June, claimed that it had fired warning shots and dropped bombs in the route of Britain Royal Navy's HMS Defender sailing in the Black Sea off the coast of the Crimean peninsula. The United Kingdom (UK), however, has said that no such Russian warning shots were fired.

Further, the UK defence ministry said that their ship had sailed into the Black Sea earlier this month, and that it did not recognise assertions that bombs were put in its path.

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

UK’s Defence Ministry

WHAT DID RUSSIA CLAIM?

The Russian defence ministry had, earlier on Wednesday, claimed:

“The (UK) 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.”

As per the Russian ministry, a Russian bomber dropped four high explosive fragmentation bombs as warning in the British HMS Defender’s path.

WHAT IS UKRAIN SAYING?

Meanwhile, according to Reuters, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said the incident showed that Russia's "aggressive and provocative policies" in the Black Sea and nearby Azov Sea constituted a "continuous threat to Ukraine and its allies."

Further, he called for NATO to cooperate with Ukraine in the Black Sea.

THE CRIMEA CONTEXT

Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine in 2014 and considers areas around the peninsula's coast to be Russian waters.

This came, even as Western countries consider the peninsula part of Ukraine and reject Russia's claim to the seas around the peninsula.

(With inputs from Reuters.)