According to him, the documents "found" by the BBC confirm that the provocation was planned
Moscow. July 21. INTERFAX-Attempts to test Russia's strength, such as the incident with the British destroyer Defender in the Black Sea, will continue, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov believes.
"Given the " medical histories" of our Western colleagues, especially British ones, this is probably a long-term syndrome of loss or sadness and longing for former greatness. The" Lady of the Seas " was suddenly not allowed to pass where she decided to do it for herself. Unfortunately, these attempts to test our strength for a long time. But I think our colleagues will quickly understand how this can end, "Lavrov said in an interview with Interfax.
He stressed that the statements of the British Foreign Minister Dominic Raab after the incident with the destroyer that the UK will "continue to defend the right to free navigation in the oceans" are illiterate. "Freedom of navigation, when it comes to the territorial sea (in this case, the territorial sea of the Russian Federation), is subject to significant restrictions," the minister added.
"Crimea is only part of their ambitions. Our NATO colleagues, including the British, have set a course to project their illegal, rather brazen actions on the expanses of the world Ocean, including in the South China Sea. The "guys" who participated in the Sea Breeze exercises, those who tried to "show their muscles" to the Russian Crimea, subsequently announced that they were going to similar maneuvers in the South China Sea, "Lavrov said.
The Russian Foreign Minister called the fact "how quickly the destroyer retreated" indicative.
"All his lamentations that they had no second thoughts except for "defending the purity of international law" are not worth a penny, were refuted by the "bus stop", where, in the spirit of either Agatha Christie or Conan Doyle, secret documents of the British maritime department were found, " he added.
According to the minister, this leak " dispelled any claims that no provocation was planned." "It was planned and what else! There are a million proofs, a journalist on board and much more, " Lavrov said.
On June 23, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that Russian military and border guards opened warning fire on the course of the destroyer Defender, which violated the Russian border in the Black Sea near Cape Fiolent (Crimea). The ministry regarded the actions of the destroyer as a gross violation of the UN Convention and called on the British side to conduct a thorough investigation of the actions of the destroyer crew.
Meanwhile, London claimed that the Russian military did not open a warning fire in connection with the passage of the destroyer Defender near the Crimea. The British Embassy in Russia stressed that the British destroyer Defender made a peaceful passage through the territorial waters of Ukraine in accordance with international law.
On June 27, the British BBC reported that a passerby found secret documents of the British Ministry of Defense at a bus stop in the English county of Kent, in particular, about the movements of the destroyer Defender in the Black Sea.
