President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Moscow was ‘concerned’ about the NATO military build-up near Russia’s borders, claiming that NATO’s refusal to ‘constructively consider’ efforts started by Russia to ‘de-escalate tensions and reduce the risk of unpredictable incidents’ was an issue for concern. Putin said that he hoped that ‘common sense’ and the desire to ‘develop constructive relations with us [Russia] will eventually prevail.’ Later that day, Russia’s Chief of the General Staff – Valery Gerasimov – stated that NATO naval activity had ‘grown considerably’ near the Russian border.
Valery Gerasimov (pictured on the left) then claimed that ‘Warships outfitted with long-range precision weapons are operating in the Black and Baltic Seas constantly, while reconnaissance, patrol and attack aircraft and also unmanned aerial vehicles are performing their flights. The operations by the warships of the United States and its allies are clearly of a provocative nature.’
Mere hours later, the Russian Defense Ministry said that one of the ships from its Black Sea Fleet fired several warning shots at UK Type 45 destroyer ‘Defender’ after it crossed the Russian sea border – almost as if the ship was mocking President Putin and Valery Gerasimov’s earlier comments by provoking such a reaction. Two minutes after the shots, four warning missiles were utilized by Russian Su-24 aircraft in the direction of the UK destroyer. The British defence attaché in Moscow was summoned by the Russian Defense Ministry in the meantime.
The British Defense Ministry gave a contradicting statement claiming that no warning shots were fired at their destroyer and that ‘the Russians were undertaking a gunnery exercise in the Black Sea and provided the maritime community with prior warning of their activity.’
The incident was the first time since the Cold War that Russia had acknowledged using live ammunition to deter a NATO warship – demonstrating the escalation and increase in the chances of military collisions between Russia and the West. Maria Zakharova – the Russian Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson stated that Russia saw the event as a ‘gross provocation’ The Foreign Ministry also labelled the actions of the UK’s navy as ‘dangerous and provocative’ and stated that they have sent out a ‘strong protest’ to the UK’s ambassador to Russia. The destroyer’s actions were seen as a ‘gross non-compliance with international law according to the Foreign ministry which also stated that the UK will bear responsibility for further provocations.
Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov stated that ‘the inviolability of the Russian borders is an absolute imperative’ and that it will be defended by ‘all means, diplomatic, political and military if needed.’ Ryabkov added that the destroyer should be renamed from ‘Defender’ to ‘Aggressor’ – warning that ‘those who try to test our strength are taking large risks.’ Ryabkov stated that Russia may ‘may appeal to reason and demand to respect international law,’ however, if that would be insufficient, he claimed that Russia may ‘drop bombs and not just in the path but right on target if colleagues don’t get it otherwise.’ ‘If unacceptable provocative actions are repeated, if those actions go too far, no options to legitimately protect the borders of the Russian Federation could be excluded,’ Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov added.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson defended his Navy’s provocations – stating that it is ‘wholly appropriate to use international waters’ around Crimea. ‘The important point is that we don’t recognize the Russian annexation of Crimea, this is part of a sovereign Ukrainian territory’ Johnson added in a blatant insult to the ideas of democracy and self-determination. Crimea had been part of Russia after a democratic status referendum – a cardinal principle of international law.
Zakharova suggested on Thursday that this series of events was intended to be used as misinformation and propaganda by the West – to reinforce the myth of how ‘unpredictable’ Russia was and to lie to the public by creating an image of a threat out of Russia.