Russia calls 'to reason' US, British military chiefs

MOSCOW

Russia called Friday on the Pentagon and the command of the British Royal Navy forces to be guided by reason when sending warships to the Black Sea.

The Russian Defense Ministry published a video, showing the incident with the British Royal Navy destroyer in the Black Sea that took place on Wednesday.

Commenting on the incident, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov suggested that the British military commanders "decided to provocation" upon Ukraine's prompting.

"For the Russian armed forces that reliably protect the security of the Crimea, the Defender destroyer anywhere in the Black Sea is just a fat target.

"The epic fiasco of the provocation of the British destroyer Defender in the Black Sea, which abruptly changed course from Russian territorial waters after the warning shots of the patrol ship, will remain a fragrant stain on the reputation of the Royal Navy for a long time," he said.

On Wednesday, the Russian Defense Ministry said the country's border guards stopped a British Royal Navy destroyer -- HMS Defender -- that Russia said was violating its waters.

According to the ministry, the Defender entered Russian territorial waters near Cape Fiolent in the Black Sea and did not respond to warnings of the Russian coastal forces, it only turned back when warning shots were fired.

The British Defense Ministry rejected the Russian claims that warning shots were fired at one of its vessels in the Black Sea, saying the Royal Navy ship was conducting "innocent passage" through Ukrainian territorial waters in accordance with international law.