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British envoy to be summoned to Russian ministry over destroyer incident — diplomat

Earlier, the Defense Ministry announced that the Russian Black Sea Fleet together with the Federal Security Service Border Control prevented by the UK’s HMS Defender destroyer from violating Russian borders near Cape Fiolent in Crimea

MOSCOW, June 23. /TASS/. Moscow views the actions of a British destroyer that sailed into Russia’s territorial waters in the Black Sea as a crude provocation, British Ambassador to Moscow Deborah Bronnert will be summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry, spokeswoman for the ministry Maria Zakharova told a briefing on Wednesday. 

"The Defense Ministry of our country has already shared its professional review of the reckless actions of the British navy destroyer in the Black Sea. I would like to add that we view it as a crude provocation by the UK which runs counter to international and Russian law. I also inform that the British ambassador will be summoned to our Foreign Ministry," she said.

Earlier, the Defense Ministry announced that the Russian Black Sea Fleet together with the Federal Security Service Border Control prevented by the UK’s HMS Defender destroyer from violating Russian borders near Cape Fiolent in Crimea. The destroyer travelled three kilometers deep into the Russian territorial waters. The warship was warned about the possible use of force but did not respond. A border guard ship fired warning shots, while an SU-24M bomber was forces to drop warning bombs ahead of the destroyer before the ship turned back and left the Russian waters. The Russian Defense Ministry qualified the British ship’s actions as a crude violation of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and urged London to investigate the actions of the destroyer’s crew.