Crimea confrontation: Russia ‘behaving like rogue state’, ex-Royal Navy chief says

‘The bottom line is Putin is an expert at disinformation and his actions are very reckless,’ says Lord Alan West

A former Royal Navy chief has accused Russia of “behaving like a rogue state” after Moscow claimed its forces had fired warning shots at a Royal Navy warship in waters off Crimea.

Lord Alan West, former Chief of Defence Intelligence, Commander in Chief of the Royal Navy and parliamentary under-secretary of state for security and counter-terrorism, also accused Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, of “appalling” behaviour.

"The bottom line is Putin is an expert at disinformation and his actions are very reckless, and we've seen that now for three or four years," he told LBC. His behaviour is appalling.

"There's no doubt the (HMS) Defender was asserting her right of innocent passage from one port to another.

"Putin wants to play to his home audience, he wants to tell them 'aren't I tough, look at that, I've made Britain go away', and that's why I think they lied about firing warning shots at the defender - which they didn't do.

"As per usual, I'm afraid, Putin's organisation is lying about that."

Lord West added that the behaviour was "dangerous and stupid". "I would say it's the behaviour of a rogue state, but Russia shouldn't be a rogue state," he said.

It comes as a Cabinet minister said UK warships would be prepared to sail again through the disputed waters around Crimea after the incident on Wednesday.

George Eustice again insisted that no warning shots were fired at HMS Defender by Russian vessels, but a "gunnery exercise" was conducted in the area.

The environment secretary told Sky News: "Under international law you can take the closest, fastest route from one point to another. HMS Defender was passing through Ukrainian waters, I think on the way to Georgia, and that was the logical route for it to take.

"This is a very normal thing, it's quite common actually. What was actually going on is the Russians were doing a gunnery exercise, they had given prior notice of that, they often do in that area.

"So, I think it's important people don't get carried away."

Asked if the Royal Navy would sail in those waters again, he said "of course, yes", adding: "We never accepted the annexation of Crimea, these were Ukrainian territorial waters."

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has denied shots were fired by a Russian patrol boat towards HMS Defender and that a warplane dropped four high explosive fragmentation bombs in its path during its passage through the Black Sea.

However, a BBC reporter aboard the HMS Defender said at times there had been 20 Russian warplanes monitoring its progress and that the sound of gunfire had been heard, although it was believed to be out of range.

Defence correspondent Jonathan Beale said throughout its passage the crew had been on high alert, at one point donning their "white flash" protective equipment in case there was an exchange of fire.

He said a Russian coastguard vessel had attempted to make it change course but it stayed with the recognised shipping lane and that even after it was past Crimea, Russian jets continued "buzzing" it.

Additional reporting by PA