The Russian military ministry called on the British side to conduct a thorough investigation of the HMS Defender crew for prevention of similar incidents in the future
Jun 23, 2021
photo: © Ben Mitchell/PA via AP
MOSCOW, June 23. /TASS/. Russian Defense Ministry characterized the HMS Defender’s actions in the Black Sea as a blatant violation of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, and called on the UK to investigate the crew’s actions.
“Russian Defense Ministry views the dangerous actions of the Royal Navy Destroyer as a blatant violation of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. The Russian military ministry called on the British side to conduct a thorough investigation of the HMS Defender crew for prevention of similar incidents in the future,” the Ministry said.
The Ministry underscored that the UK Defense Attache was summoned to the Ministry’s Main Directorate on International Cooperation, where he was informed about the position of the Russian Ministry.
“The British side was informed that the HMS Defender destroyer operating in the Northwestern part of the Black Sea violated the Russian national border today, travelling three kilometers deep in the territorial waters near Cape Fiolent,” the Ministry said.
Earlier, the Defense Ministry announced that the Russian Black Sea Fleet, together with the Federal Security Service Border Control stopped a violation of the Russian border by UK’s HMS Defender destroyer near Cape Fiolent in Crimea. The destroyer travelled three kilometers deep in the Russian territorial waters.
The destroyer was warned about the use of force but did not react. A border guard ship fired warning shots, while a SU-24M bomber had to drop warning bombs ahead of the destroyer before the ship turned back and left the Russian waters.
Published at tass.com
