(TheIndependentStar.com) – Russia is known for being very territorial. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the country has worked to reclaim land and waterways it maintains should be Russian property. This often leads to combative situations.
One hotly contested area is the sea off the coast of the Ukraine. Russia has a tight grip on the waters under its control and is quick to react when it thinks someone is breaching its borders.
This is what led to an incident on Wednesday, June 23, when a British vessel sailed into the Black Sea. Russian officials state the ship went 3 km over the border into the country’s waters near Cape Fiolent in Crimea. The defense ministry stated the border patrol gave proper verbal warning to the British defender to not cross the border, and when the crew failed to listen, fired warning shots. An SU-24 jet proceeded to drop four bombs in the path of the HMS Defender as further warnings.
Russian jets thunder overhead. The angry thud of cannon fire rings out. Our crew readies Sea Viper missiles. Wars have started over less. Read the dramatic Mail eyewitness report as Vladimir Putin's gunboat opens fire on HMS Defender https://t.co/OmiFxjucRn
— Pog (@OSINT220) June 24, 2021
In response, the UK ship diverted its course and moved out of the area. However, Ben Wallace, the UK defense secretary, maintains the ship was not in Russian space and was conducting innocent passage, which is moving through without harmful intent. This is permitted under international law.
There are concerns over the hostility shown by Russia and its possessive nature over the area. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba feels Russia’s attitude represents a serious threat to Ukraine and its allies.
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