Russia news – live: Moscow releases video of Black Sea clash as Johnson says British navy ‘entirely right’
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Your support makes all the difference.Boris Johnson’s government has been warned Russia will “hit the target” of any foreign warship testing its territorial claims in waters off Crimea, following the showdown in the Black Sea.
The prime minister said it was “entirely right” for the HMS Defender to be in the disputed waters, as No 10 denied Russia’s claims warning shots were fired on the warship and bombs dropped in its path.
Defence secretary Ben Wallace said firing took place “out of range” of the warship, while the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said a “gunnery exercise” had been conducted in the area.
Lord Dannatt, ex-head of the British Army, said Vladimir Putin was “testing the will of the West” with the confrontation. “I’m a little bit surprised that the MoD is playing it down,” he said – adding that the idea the shots fired were merely part of a gunnery exercise was “codswallop”.
Cabinet minister George Eustice said British warships would “of course” sail again through the disputed waters. “We never accepted the annexation of Crimea – these were Ukrainian territorial waters.”
Russian coastguard released video footage of Defender incident
The Russian FSB coastguard has released video footage filmed on board one of its vessels during the HMS Defender incident yesterday.
Russia claims one of its warships fired warning shots and a warplane dropped bombs in the path of the British destroyer to drive it away from waters near the Crimean city of Sevastopol.
However, Britain has denied that account, insisting the ship wasn’t fired upon and that it was sailing in Ukrainian waters.
The footage appears to show some warning fire coming from the Russian coastguard vessel, however HMS Defender is seen some way off in the distance and there is no evidence of the bombs.
In the six-minute long clip, a crew member on board HMS Defender can be heard telling the coastguard via radio that the British warship is “conducting innocent passage” which it has “the right to do so in accordance with international rules” as two jets fly overhead.
“Your actions are unsafe, unprofessional and in danger of both of our vessels,” he asks, adding: “Are you threatening me?”
The coastguard replies: “Please change your course and keep clear. Please follow outside, keep away from border line or be worried of incidents, change your course to starboard and follow clear.”
Someone then shouts commands in Russian to “carry out warning fire in the path of Defender” but to “exclude hitting Defender” and to “continue watching Defender closely”.
The clip ends with HMS Defender insisting it will continue to follow the internationally-recognised route.
Russian navy chief says he acted ‘to stop the provocation’
Russian navy chief, Admirlal Nikolai Yevmenov, has said HMS Defender’s move was clearly provocative and that it ignored the warnings in a bid to test Russia's resolve.
"They came to see how we act," he told reporters in St. Petersburg. "And they only reacted to the power of weapons. Our navy acted in a competent and safe manner to stop the provocation."
In April, Russia declared a broader area off Crimea closed to foreign naval ships until November, a move that drew strong protests from Ukraine and the West.
HMS Defender: How big is it, how many on board, what weapons does it have, why is it near Crimea?
HMS Defender, launched in December 2009, is the fifth of the Royal Navy’s six Type 45 destroyers and is one of the most advanced warships ever, according to the Ministry of Defence.
Matt Mathers takes a look at the specs:
HMS Defender: How big is it, how many on board, what weapons does it have, why is it near Crimea?
MoD denies incident took place, saying its warship was making ‘innocent passage’ through the Black Sea
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UK ambassador warned: Don’t let it happen again
Russia’s foreign ministry said it delivered a strongly-worded protest to Britain’s ambassador to Moscow on Thursday over what it described as the “dangerous and provocative actions” of a British warship in the Black Sea.
In a statement, the foreign ministry said it told the envoy, Deborah Bronnert, that Britain would be fully responsible for any consequences if a similar incident happened again.
‘Russia telling same old story on Western aggression’
Our columnist Keir Giles think Moscow needs to tell its people two stories over the Black Sea incident – that it is under threat from a dangerous, aggressive west, but also that Russia itself is strong and can protect itself. Read more here:
Opinion: Russia is telling the same old story over the Black Sea incident
Moscow needs to tell its people two stories: that it is under threat from a dangerous, aggressive west, but also that Russia itself is strong and can protect itself
‘Probably won’t be long before next incident’
The Independent columnist Cathy Newman says it won’t be long before the next confrontation with Russia.
The Channel 4 News host – who interviewed Russian ambassador to the UK Andrei Kelin last night – think it’s hard to envisage Russia entirely shedding its “pariah status” despite the Geneva summit and EU efforts to restart dialogue.
“It surely can’t be too long before the next diplomatic fracas sails into view,” Newman writes in her latest piece. Read more here:
It probably won’t be long before the next warship incident with Russia in the Black Sea | Cathy Newman
Ambassador Andrei Kelin told me the British ship ‘did not respond to several warnings’ – warnings which had, he said, been ‘issued every ten minutes’
Russians fired ‘out of range’, says defence secretary
In a written statement to MPs, defence secretary Ben Wallace said Russian aircraft performed manoeuvres that were “neither safe nor professional” during the Black Sea incident.
Setting out the details of the encounter, he said HMS Defender entered the traffic separation scheme shipping lane inside Ukrainian territorial waters at 9.50am BST.
Ten minutes later a Russian coastguard vessel “warned that Russian units would shortly commence a live fire gunnery exercise”.
Eight minutes after that HMS Defender “noted gunnery astern and out of range of her position”. Wallace claimed “this posed no danger to HMS Defender”.
The minister added: “The Royal Navy will always uphold international law and will not accept unlawful interference with innocent passage.”
Written statements - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament
Information from UK Parliament on written questions & answers, written statements and daily reports.
No 10 supports EU ‘engagement’ with Russia
The UK’s Black Sea row with Russia comes as France and Germany are seeking to build bridges between Brussels and Moscow.
The PM’s official spokesman said: “It’s a matter for Germany and France ... we would obviously support engagement with Russia in order to deliver tough messages and encourage a change in their behaviour.”
He added: “We remain open to a different relationship but for that to happen the Russian government must choose a different path.”
EU needs to restart ‘dialogue’ with Russia, says Macron
The EU should resume dialogue with Russia to safeguard the stability of the continent, French president Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday.
“We need a dialogue to defend our interests ... it is a dialogue necessary for the stability of the European continent,” Macron said on entering an EU gathering in Brussels that will discuss the 27-nation bloc’s relations with Russia – and the possibility of a summit with Putin.
Macon and German chancellor Angela Merkel will try to persuade EU leaders to relaunch regular meetings with Putin.
“We cannot stay in a purely reactive logic when it comes to Russia,” said Macron. “I hope that we can, with real European unity and coordination, have this ... dialogue.”
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