Russia Warns It Will Be Ready To Fire , at Intruding Warships To Protect Its Borders.
ABC reports that on June 24, Russia said it would be prepared to target intruding warships that fail to heed warnings.
.
The statement came after a Black Sea incident in which a British destroyer allegedly sailed near Crimea, an area Russia claims as its territorial waters.
On June 23, Russia said that one of its warships fired warning shots at British destroyer Defender to drive it away from the area near Sevastopol.
Britain denied the account, insisting its ship was not fired upon and said it had been sailing in Ukrainian waters.
According to ABC, the alleged incident marked the first time Moscow acknowledged using live ammunition to deter a NATO warship since the Cold War.
It underlines the rising threat of military actions amid tensions between Russia and the West.
.
Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister, Sergei Ryabkov, warned that , “those who try to test our strength are taking high risks.”.
We may appeal to reason and demand to respect international law.
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, Sergei Ryabkov, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, via ABC.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov endorsed the warning and called the incident a , "deliberate and well- prepared provocation."