Russia fires warning shots to deter UK warship in Black Sea
A Russian warship has fired warning shots and a warplane has dropped bombs to force a British destroyer from waters near Crimea in the Black Sea, the Russian Defence Ministry says, claiming those waters belong to Russia.
The incident on Wednesday marked the first time since the Cold War when Moscow used live ammunition to deter a NATO warship, reflecting soaring Russia-West tensions.
The ministry said the Russian warship fired warning shots after the British missile destroyer Defender had ignored a notice against intrusion in Russia’s territorial waters.
It said that a Russian Su-24 bomber also dropped bombs ahead of the British ship to persuade it to change course.
The UK Ministry of Defence did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in 2014, a move that was not recognised by most countries in the world.
Russia has frequently chafed at NATO warships visits near Crimea, casting them as destabilising.
NATO members Turkey, Greece, Romania and Bulgaria all are on the Black Sea but warships from the US, UK and other NATO allies also have made increasingly frequent visits in a show of support to Ukraine.
