Aysu Bicer
16 July 2026•Update: 16 July 2026
The UK Defense Ministry on Thursday rejected Argentina’s claim that a Royal Navy patrol vessel carried out a “military incursion” into its waters.
Argentina’s Foreign Ministry said it had lodged a “formal note of protest” with the British Embassy, alleging that HMS Medway entered Argentine waters earlier this month without prior notification.
The complaint came hours after Argentina’s World Cup semifinal win over England, with Argentine officials describing the vessel’s movements as a violation of international norms.
In response, the UK Defense Ministry said HMS Medway had been supporting British Antarctic Survey (BAS) operations during a routine logistics mission.
“HMS Medway undertook a routine logistics visit to Punta Arenas on 5-8 July supporting British Antarctic Survey operations, delivering essential stores and supplies to sustain scientific research in Antarctica,” the ministry said in a statement Thursday.
“The transit from the Falkland Islands to Chile and back was carried out via the most direct practicable route, considering operational safety and weather factors to ensure timely delivery,” it said.
“This planned logistics activity reflected the UK’s ongoing commitment to world-leading polar science and maintaining the infrastructure that supports BAS operations.”
The Falkland Islands, a British Overseas Territory known in Argentina as the Islas Malvinas, remain at the center of a long-running sovereignty dispute between the two countries.
Argentina continues to claim the islands, while the UK says their future is a matter for the islanders, who have repeatedly expressed their wish to remain a British Overseas Territory.
