Russia will be ready to fire to hit to protect its borders, a senior diplomat warned Thursday in the wake of a Black Sea incident in which a British destroyer sailed near Crimea in an area that Russia claims as its territorial waters.
Russia said one of its warships fired warning shots and a warplane dropped bombs in the path of British destroyer Defender Wednesday to drive it away from the area near Sevastopol, but Britain denied that account and insisted its ship wasn’t fired upon.
The incident marked the first time since the Cold War that Moscow acknowledged using live ammunition to deter a NATO warship, underlining the rising threat of military collisions amid Russia-West tensions.
RUSSIA DEFENSE MINISTRY SUMMONS BRITISH DEFENSE ATTACHE OVER BLACK SEA ‘WARNING SHOTS DISPUTE
Russia’s Deputy Defense Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Thursday that “the inviolability of the Russian borders is an absolute imperative,” adding that it will be protected “by all means, diplomatic, political and military if needed.”
Asked what Russia would do to prevent such intrusions in the future, Ryabkov told reporters it would stand ready to fire on target if warnings don’t work.
“We may appeal to reason and demand to respect international law,” Ryabkov said in remarks carried by Russian news agencies. “If it doesn’t help, we may drop bombs and not just in the path but right on target if colleagues don’t get it otherwise.”
On Wednesday, the Russian Defense Ministry said a patrol ship fired warning shots after the HMS Defender had ignored a notice against intrusion and sailed 3 kilometers (1.6 nautical miles) into Russia’s territorial waters near Sevastopol, the main Russian naval base in Crimea.
It said a Russian Su-24 bomber also dropped four bombs ahead of the vessel to persuade the Defender to change course. Minutes later, the Defender left Russian waters, the ministry said.