The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that a warning fire was opened on the British Royal Navy ship HMS Defender, which entered Russian territorial waters in the Black Sea.
According to the reports in Zvezda TV, a state-owned Russian television network operated by the Ministry of Defence of Russia, at around 11:52 am local time, the British warship HMS Defender arrived in the Black Sea, near the Crimea annexed by Russia. In a statement made by the Defence of Ministry of Russia, it was reported that the British warship was warned because it entered "Russian territorial waters", but there was no response to these warnings, and the warship in the Black Sea Fleet fired warning fire at 12:06 and 12:08 local time. The ministry also announced that at 12:19 local time, the Su-24M type attack aircraft dropped 4 OFAB-250 type bombs for "warning" purposes near the HMS Defender.
UK DENIES RUSSIANS FIRED WARNING SHOTS AT WARSHIP
Ministry of Defence Press Office of UK denies Russians fired warning shots at Royal Navy warship. “No warning shots have been fired at HMS Defender. The Royal Navy ship is conducting innocent passage through Ukrainian territorial waters in accordance with international law. We believe the Russians were undertaking a gunnery exercise in the Black Sea and provided the maritime community with prior-warning of their activity. No shots were directed at HMS Defender and we do not recognise the claim that bombs were dropped in her path” Ministry of Defence Press Office told in a statement announced on social media account.
