Tensions are heating up between NATO and Russia in the Black Sea Region as a Russian patrol ship fired warning shots near HMS Defender, a British Royal Navy destroyer, for violating Russia's maritime borders, according to Russian state-owned news agency RIA, citing the Russian Ministry of Defence.
During the incident, Russia fired "warning shots" from a patrol boat and dropped bombs from an attack aircraft to deter the British Navy destroyer. Here's a timeline of what happened Wednesday afternoon:
At 1152 local time, HMS Defender sailed across "the Russian border and entered the territorial sea at Cape Fiolent for three kilometers," RIA said.
Around 1206 and 1208, the Russian patrol ship fired warning shots. The Defender failed to heed radio warnings after it entered Russia's territorial waters off Crimea.
After nine minutes, a Sukhoi Su-24 attack aircraft dropped four bombs in waters near the British vessel. The Defender then reversed course after the bombing and exited the area.
Reuters noted the Su-24 dropped "four high explosive fragmentation bombs as a warning in the British destroyer's path."
The incident area occurred south of Russia's naval base in Sevastopol
Russian Senator Sergei Tsekov told RIA the warship's movements were a "flagrant violation of international norms."
After the incident, Russia summoned British officials in Moscow to explain what happened, Interfax reported. It's critical to note that the UK and its NATO allies don't recognize Crimea as Russian territory after Moscow annexed Ukraine in 2014.
UK's Ministry of Defence Press Office denies "warning shots were fired at Defender." They said, "we believe the Russians were undertaking a gunnery exercise in the Black Sea and provided the maritime community with prior warning of their activity."
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