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Russia will defend its borders by all means, including military — Deputy Foreign Minister

On Wednesday, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that the Russian Black Sea Fleet together with the Federal Security Service Border Control prevented the UK’s HMS Defender destroyer from violating Russian borders near Cape Fiolent in Crimea
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov Russian Foreign Ministry Press Office/TASS
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov
© Russian Foreign Ministry Press Office/TASS

SOCHI, June 25. /TASS/. The incident with a British navy destroyer sailing into Russian territorial waters in the Black Sea is a violation of international law, Russia will defend its borders with all available means, including military, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told reporters on Friday. 

"This completely contradicts the norms of international law," Ryabkov said. "These are not the territorial waters of Ukraine, these are the territorial waters of the Russian Federation, this is our border. We will defend it with all means at our disposal, including military ones," he added.

On Wednesday, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that the Russian Black Sea Fleet together with the Federal Security Service Border Control prevented the UK’s HMS Defender destroyer from violating Russian borders near Cape Fiolent in Crimea. The destroyer had travelled three kilometers deep into the Russian territorial waters when it 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 UK 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.