(24 Jun 2021) Britain's prime minister said Thursday it was "wholly appropriate" for the British warship that Russia claims it fired warning shots at to have travelled through disputed waters off Crimea.
"The important point is that we don't recognize the Russian annexation of Crimea. This is part of a sovereign Ukrainian territory," Boris Johnson insisted.
He added that it was "entirely right" to "vindicate the law" and "pursue freedom of navigation in the way that we did."
The Russian Defense Ministry said a patrol ship fired warning shots after the HMS Defender had ignored a notice against intrusion and sailed 3 kilometers (1.6 nautical miles) into Russia’s territorial waters near Sevastopol, the main Russian naval base in Crimea.
It said a Russian Su-24 bomber also dropped four bombs ahead of the vessel to persuade the Defender to change course. Minutes later, the Defender left Russian waters, the ministry said.
Johnson also spoke about travel and the coronavirus pandemic, hinting that people entering Britain with two coronavirus jabs may soon no longer have to quarantine, opening up international holidays.
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