UK and Russia, tensions on the rise in the Black Sea

Tensions in the Black Sea are on the rise after a British Navy warship breached Russian territorial waters off the Crimean coast on Wednesday.

The Russian Defence Ministry said in a statement that Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, and the Russian Federal Security Service, had stopped the violation of the state border by the British destroyer HMS Defender.

According to Russia the British military vessel ventured three kilometres into Russian territorial waters, prompting a Russian border guard patrol ship to fire warning shots and a Sukhoi 24 M bomber to drop bombs in front of the destroyer.

Following the warning maneuvers the HMS defender left the waters, but the British side denied that warning shots have been fired and that any bombs had been dropped into the path of the HMS defender.

Earlier in the day, Russia said hostile actions by the British warship near Russian territorial waters could not have been carried out without the US green light.

Russia has warned that it will defend its borders by all means, including with its military.

Russia's foreign ministry has summoned the British ambassador to strongly protest what it called the British ships violation of its territory.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said it delivered a strongly worded protest to the envoy over the British Navy ships "provocative and dangerous actions".

Moscow said London will be fully responsible for any consequences if a similar incident happened again.

ME