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, Russian Defense Ministry said Wednesday.
The destroyer traveled three kilometers deep in the Russian territorial waters. 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.
According to the Ministry, the British destroyer was warned about the use of force in case of violation of the Russian border. "It did not react to the warning," the Ministry said.
The Black Sea Fleet, jointly with the Border Guard Service, halted the violation of the Russian state border by a UK naval ship off Crimea.
A guard ship of the Black Sea Fleet fired warning shots while a Su-24M bomber conducted preventing bombing.
"At 11:52 on June 23 this year, the UK Navy’s guided missile destroyer Defender operating in the northwestern part of the Black Sea crossed the state border of the Russian Federation and moved 3 km into the territorial sea near Cape Fiolent," the ministry said in a statement.
The Russian Black Sea Fleet jointly with the Border Guard Service of the Federal Security Service (FSB) of Russia "halted the violation of the Russian state border by the UK Navy’s guided missile destroyer Defender," the statement says.
The UK warship received a warning that weapons would be employed, if it violated the Russian state border, but did not respond to it, the ministry said.
"At 12:06 and 12:08, the border guard patrol ship conducted warning fire. At 12:19, a Su-24M plane carried out preventing bombing (four OFAB-250 bombs) along the route of the guided missile destroyer Defender," TASS cited the statement as saying.
At 12:23, following the joint measures by the Black Sea Fleet and the Border Guard Service, the UK Navy’s guided missile destroyer Defender left Russia’s territorial sea boundaries, the ministry said.
The UK Navy’s guided missile destroyer Defender was floated out in 2009. The warship can develop a speed of about 30 knots and operates various armaments, including Harpoon anti-ship missile launchers and short-and medium-range air defense systems.
