Russia, "Behind the UK Destroyer's Provocative Actions in the Crimean Peninsula is the US"

Russian Intelligence Agency Claims "US Reconnaissance Aircraft Deployed Alongside UK Destroyer"

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The Russian government has claimed that the United States is behind the incident in which a British destroyer and the Russian navy clashed off the coast of the Crimean Peninsula, escalating international controversy. The Russian intelligence agency asserted that there is evidence that a U.S. reconnaissance aircraft took off from the Greek island of Crete alongside the British destroyer at the time of its deployment.

According to Russia's TASS news agency on the 4th (local time), Dmitry Peskov, spokesperson for the Russian Kremlin, stated in an interview with the state-run Rossiya-1 broadcaster, "We believe our intelligence agency knows exactly who is behind the incident where the British destroyer HMS Defender violated Russian territorial waters near the Crimean Peninsula," adding, "We are certain that such provocations were planned by high-level foreign partners," implying that the United States is behind it.

On the same day, the Russian intelligence agency claimed that when the British destroyer entered Russian territorial waters near the Crimean Peninsula, a U.S. strategic reconnaissance aircraft took off from a NATO airfield on the Greek island of Crete.

Spokesperson Peskov said, "President Vladimir Putin pointed out that some vulnerabilities have been revealed in the Russian military's surveillance and response to the situation." He went on to condemn the incident as "a very deliberate and well-planned provocation," emphasizing, "If provocations are repeated, the Russian military will sink the opponent."

Earlier, on the 23rd of last month, the British destroyer Defender was navigating the waters off the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia claims as its territory, when it clashed with the Russian navy. Although no engagement occurred as the Defender retreated following warning shots from the Russian side, military tensions in the Black Sea significantly increased.

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