'Change course or I'll FIRE':

[Boats]

'Change course or I'll FIRE':
Astonishing threat Russian ship made to HMS Defender as it sailed past Crimea before Putin's forces fired warning shots and 'dropped bombs in its path' in response to 'rude British provocation'
By: Jack Newman & Will Stewart for Mailonline & Daily Mail UK - 06-23-21
Re: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ombs-path.html

* Russia said a patrol ship fired warning shots and an Su-24 dropped bombs in the path of HMS Defender

* They accused it of crossing into their territorial waters off the coast of Crimea, which Britain denies

* The Ministry of Defence said no warning shots were fired and maintain the vessel was in international waters

* British military attaché has been summoned to the defence ministry in Moscow to explain the navy's actions

A Russian coastguard ship made a series of hostile threats to HMS Defender as it sailed past Crimea on Wednesday, before warning shots and bombs were fired in the Royal Navy destroyer's path after it was accused of crossing into territorial waters.

The British Type 45 destroyer was told, 'If you don't change course I'll fire,' after it entered the 12-mile limit of Crimea's territorial waters near Cape Fiolent in the Black Sea.

Moscow boasted that an Su-24 dropped four bombs in the vessel's path after it refused to back down and warning shots were fired from their patrol ship, but Britain has flatly denied the claims, saying the destroyer stayed in international waters and no shots were fired.

Two Black Sea Fleet coastguard ships continued to shadow HMS Defender from 100 yards away while 20 military aircraft patrolled it from the skies as it charted its course from Odessa in Ukraine to Georgia past Crimea, which Russia has annexed but the West refuses to recognise.

It was the first time since the Cold War that Moscow acknowledged using live ammunition to deter a NATO warship, reflecting the growing risk of military incidents amid soaring tensions between Russia and the West, as Ukraine's foreign minister appealed for further NATO help.

Defence correspondent Jonathan Beale, who is on board the British vessel, said HMS Defender's crew were primed and weapons systems loaded as they approached the southern tip of the peninsula.

He told the BBC: 'Increasingly hostile warnings were issued over the radio - including one that said 'if you don't change course I'll fire'. We did hear some firing in the distance but they were believed to be well out of range.'

Captain Vincent Owen said his mission was confident but non-confrontational and insisted he was maintaining course on an internationally recognised shipping lane but Mr Beale said it was a 'deliberate move to make a point to Russia'.

Moscow has now summoned Britain's military attaché and ambassador Deborah Bronnert to explain why the destroyer entered the waters.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova also denounced the 'rude British provocation that defies international law'.

The Ministry of Defence and Number 10 insist the incident never happened, adding that Russia was carrying out pre-arranged exercises and Defender was conducting an 'innocent passage through Ukrainian territorial waters'.

Tom Tugendhat, chair of the UK's Foreign Affairs Committee slammed the government of Russia's Vladimir Putin in a pair of tweets on Wednesday.

'Firing shots at ships in international waters is criminal. Putin's regime has: Used chemical weapons in the UK, Murdered opponents across Europe, Set explosions in Prague, Invaded and illegally occupied Ukraine and Georgia, Kept the Russian people hostage for a generation,' he wrote.

'Now it appears they lied about it,' Tugendhat said in a second tweet.

'For a mafia regime they really are pretty rubbish. But then they've so robbed the people and stripped out the country that there's nothing left. Russia deserves better than these thieves.'

1st Map link: https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/06...4467755195.jpg
An Su-24 dropped four bombs in the path of HMS Defender in the Black Sea after Russia accused it of entering its waters near Cape Fiolent on Wednesday

1st Video link: https://videos.dailymail.co.uk/video...4393739827.mp4

Photo link: https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/06...4467755204.jpg
A picture taken on Friday shows a ship from the Russian Black Sea Fleet (circled) shadowing USS Laboon , HMS Defender and the frigate HNLMS Evertsen

2nd video Link: https://videos.dailymail.co.uk/previ...9362323313.mp4
We heard shots fired but believe it was our of range.

In an unusual move, Russia released footage of the defence attaché being summoned in Moscow.

Such meetings are normally private but a video was released to state media fuelling the assumption that Moscow was using the alleged incident for propaganda.

'In the wake of a violation of the Russian Federation's border by a Royal Navy destroyer, the defence attaché at the UK embassy in Moscow has been summoned to the Russian Defence Ministry,' said a statement.

The Russian defence ministry had claimed a patrol ship first opened fire at 12.06pm and shot again two minutes later at HMS Defender after it refused to listen to radio warnings about entering its territorial waters.

Around ten minutes later, the Su-24 dropped four OFAB-250s in the path of the British vessel, forcing it to retreat after venturing two miles inside their waters, Russia said.

But the MoD issued a swift response to the claims, saying: '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.'

(Note: three more video's on site - if you interested)

The Royal Navy said earlier in June that the HMS Defender had 'peeled away' from its strike group conducting NATO operations in the Mediterranean to carry out 'her own set of missions' in the Black Sea.

A spokesman for Boris Johnson said this morning: 'We saw the reports this morning. It's incorrect to say that Defender was fired upon or was in Russian waters.

'Defender was taking the most direct and internationally recognised route between Ukraine and Georgia.'

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace added: 'This morning, HMS Defender carried out a routine transit from Odessa towards Georgia across the Black Sea.

'As is normal for this route, HMS Defender entered an internationally recognised traffic separation corridor.

'She exited that corridor safely at 9.45 BST. As is routine, Russian vessels shadowed her passage and she was made aware of training exercises in her wider vicinity.'

But Lisa Nandy MP, Labour's Shadow Foreign Secretary, said: 'The Foreign Secretary must urgently come to the House to confirm the validity of these deeply concerning reports and outline what steps the UK is taking to ensure the safety of British forces in the Black Sea.'

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said it was 'clear proof of Ukraine's position: Russia's aggressive and provocative actions in the Black and Azov seas, its occupation and militarization of Crimea pose a lasting threat to Ukraine and allies.'

'We need a new quality of cooperation between Ukraine & NATO allies in the Black Sea,' Kuleba tweeted.

The British military attaché to Moscow has now been summoned to the Russian defence ministry after the alleged incident.

'The destroyer had been warned that weapons would be used if it trespasses the border of the Russian Federation. It did not react to the warning,' the Russian ministry said.

Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula from Ukraine in 2014 in a move condemned by the West which still considers it Ukrainian territory.

Britain has previously claimed its warships ships stationed in the Black Sea are in international or Ukrainian waters.

Another photo link: https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/06...4467755363.jpg
A Russian military ship allegedly fired warning shots at British Royal Navy destroyer HMS Defender after it entered Russian waters (file image)

A Russia Su-24 photo that dropped four bombs in the path of the Vessel in the Black Sea.
Re: https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/06...4467755346.jpg

Plus a photo of Vladmir Putin on site as well.

The Russian ministry's TV channel Zvezda reported: 'The Black Sea Fleet together with the FSB (security service) stopped a violation of the Russian border by a British destroyer Defender.

'Today, at 11:52, the Defender crossed the state border of Russia in the northwestern part of the Black Sea.

'It entered the territorial waters for three kilometres, in the area of Cape Fiolent.

'Previously warned about the use of weapons in the event of a violation of the border, the British ship did not react to this in any way.

'At 12:06 and 12:08, a Russian border patrol ship fired a warning shot.

'At 12:19, the Su-24M aircraft of the Black Sea Fleet performed a warning bombing, dropping 4 OFAB-250 bombs on the course of the destroyer.

'At 12:23 the British destroyer left the borders of the territorial sea of Russia.'

The Defender had earlier visited Ukrainian Naval port Odessa.

The destroyer had been on operations in the Black Sea with American navy guided missile destroyer USS Laboon and Dutch warship HNLMS Evertsen in a show of support for Ukraine following Putin's recent vast military build up close to Ukrainian borders.

Russia has said in recent days that it was closely monitoring HMS Defender.

Earlier on Wednesday, President Vladimir Putin said Russia is 'concerned' about the NATO build-up near Russian borders.

Addressing an international security conference in Moscow, Putin said the alliance 'refuses to constructively consider our proposals to de-escalate tensions and reduce the risk of unpredictable incidents'.

The US periodically sends warships to the region in a show of support for Ukraine, often drawing protests from Russia.

HMS Defender Video: https://videos.dailymail.co.uk/previ...2005552977.mp4

An earlier image taken from Royal Navy destroyer HMS Defender showed Russian frigate Admiral Essen 'shadowing' USS Laboon.

Russia's national defence control centre said: 'Forces and systems of the [Russian] Black Sea Fleet have started monitoring the movements of the Royal Navy HMS Defender and the Dutch Navy's Evertsen frigate.'

The fleet's former commander Admiral Vladimir Komoyedov said: 'Those ships will definitely not be welcome here.

'No-one is going to greet them as guests of honour, while their actions will definitely be monitored.

Photo of the destroyer USS Laboon & Ductch warship HNLMS Evertsen
Re: https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/06...4467755408.jpg

'They will be put under direct surveillance, technically, from the air and from outer space.'

The Russian fleet was enhancing 'its combat preparedness, especially the readiness of air defence crews and particular standby forces' with the presence of the NATO ships, he said.

They were being subjected to 'close monitoring'.

'Their visits to the Black Sea have become too frequent,' said Komoyedov. 'Their intensified presence has gone too far.

'They are complying with the Montreux Convention, but the activity of ships from non-Black Sea countries has never been so intensive before, even in the Soviet period.'

The USS Laboon is in the Black Sea 'to conduct maritime security operations in the region', the United States Sixth Fleet said on Twitter.

The destroyer is capable of carrying up to 56 Tomahawk cruise missiles.

In a blast last month General Vladimir Kulishov, deputy director of the FSB security service, claimed that Royal Navy destroyer HMS Dragon had to be 'expelled' by the Russians 'warnings' not to enter 'Russian territorial waters' off annexed Crimea.

'The destroyer Dragon of the British Navy crossed the state border of the Russian Federation in the area of Cape Khersones in the Black Sea,' said the counterintelligence chief.

'The destroyer's captain responded with a poor signal to the demand to immediately leave Russian territorial waters,' he said.

'As a result of the joint actions with the Russian Navy and the Russian Aerospace Forces, the warship was expelled into neutral waters.'

British sources flatly denied the FSB claim which related to an incident in October last year.

'The Russian Federation Navy did not impede HMS Dragon's passage. She navigated without incident, exercising our right of innocent passage under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea,' said a Ministry of Defence spokesperson in London.

'HMS Dragon was taking the most direct route between two port visits, navigating a recognised safe route for all international shipping within Ukrainian waters.'

Russia is known to have deployed submarine Veliky Novogorod to track HMS Dragon.

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Another story: Won by conquest, given away as a 'gift', now occupied by force: Russia's history in Crimea and the Black Sea - is also posted with the earlier one above:
Re: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ombs-path.html
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You may find some history on this territory.
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Personal note: I look for us to be in a conflict or a war before the end of this year.
With Russia - China or NK or all three. It won't be pretty.
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Boats