Moscow claimed a Russian patrol ship and warplane were scrambled after Royal Navy destroyer HMS Defender crossed into its territorial waters near Crimea in the Black Sea.
Officially, the UK is playing any suggestion of a confrontation with the Russians.
The Ministry of Defence has insisted warship was simply conducting an “innocent passage” through Ukrainian waters.
But a different and more dramatic picture has been painted by a BBC news crew on board the 8,500 ton warship who say they heard shots fired.
The BBC reported that at times there were as many as 20 aircraft buzzing the warship and the sound of jets roaring overhead could be heard.
Russian media also reports a much more dramatic version of events, saying the SU-24M aircraft dropped four bombs on the course of the warship.
And a security source confirmed to the The Sun: “It’s basically pretty much as the Russians had it. We’re just not giving them the attention they crave.”
The incident is the latest clash between the West and Russia in the Black Sea, which has been the staging ground for numerous confrontations between warships and warplanes.
The drama unfolded at just few minutes before noon, when according to Putin’s defence ministry, the Type-45 crossed Russia’s maritime border near Cape Fiolent.
The 500ft cutting edge destroyer kept its course until confronted by much smaller Russian coastguard vessel.
The crew of the tiny Russian ship bellowed “if you don’t change course I’ll fire” at the massive British vessel.
The Russian vessel opened fire twice – once at 12.06pm and again at 12.08pm – before the planes were ordered in.
At 12.23pm HMS Defender then exited Russian waters.
According to Rear Admiral Chris Parry, told The Sun Online that HMS Defender represents the cutting edge of the Royal Navy’s capability.
Her primary role is anti-aircraft defence but “she can pretty much do well against warships as well”.
“This is not a ship you really want to take on if you are Russian,” he said.
“Most importantly HMS Defender has probably the best anti-aircraft systems – it can detect golf balls at a range of about 20 miles and can engage multiple targets.”
He claimed Russia’s aggression was for their own internal audiences.
“They want to say they have seen off a Royal Navy destroyer from their main fleet base in Sevastopol.
“She was being trailed by some small border patrol craft. I think at one stage HMS Defender got a bit bored with it, so came up in speed.
“The patrol boats could not actually keep up, so in indignation they fired their guns somewhere, but nowhere near the ship.
“If you add to that the Russians were conducting some form of live fire exercise, some miles away, what the Russians have done is linked all these incidents and said they’ve seen Defender off the premises.”
The Mod said confirmed that the Russians were carrying out a gunnery exercise.
But hitting back at Russian claims, it insisted: “No shots were directed at HMS Defender and we do not recognise the claim that bombs were dropped in her path.”
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: “This morning, HMS Defender carried out a routine transit from Odesa towards Georgia across the Black Sea.
“As is normal for this route, she entered an internationally recognised traffic separation corridor. She exited that corridor safely at 0945 BST.
“As is routine, Russian vessels shadowed her passage and she was made aware of training exercises in her wider vicinity.
Moscow has summoned British officials to answer for the confrontation which comes amid heightened tensions between Russia and the West.
Defence sources said they believed the Russians were undertaking a gunnery exercise in the vicinity of the Type 45 destroyer – but there was no mention of dropping bombs.
The Royal Navy warship was said to be simply taking the most direct route between Ukraine and Georgia having yesterday visited Odessa.
The latest dramatic incident comes as Ukraine is reportedly seeking to enter NATO in what would be a major blow to Russian president Vladimir Putin.
Ukraine and Russia have been at odds ever since Moscow illegally annexed Crimea from Kiev in a move that received international condemnation.
It has since allegedly been supporting rebel groups fighting in eastern Ukraine and has been accused of plotting further land grabs.
HMS Defender sailed into the region after operating as part of the HMS Queen Elizabeth carrier strike group in the Med.
The £1billion warship was sailing with Dutch frigate HNLMS Evertsen.
Air traffic control monitor FlightRadar tracked a USAF “Rivet Joint” RC-135 spy plane overhead around the time of the alleged confrontation.
And it comes after Russia boasted it had “expelled” another British warship – HMS Dragon – from the region back in October.
Moscow claimed the destroyer had ignored warnings not to enter Russian territorial waters – and claimed she was chased of by fighter planes and warships.
At the time, Russia’s boasts were also rubbished as untrue by the MoD in another war of words between the two sides.
Russia had said in recent days that it was closely monitoring HMS Defender.
An earlier image taken from Royal Navy destroyer HMS Defender showed Russian frigate Admiral Essen “shadowing” USS Laboon.
The Russian fleet was enhancing “its combat preparedness, especially the readiness of air defence crews and particular standby forces” with the presence of the NATO ships, he said.
They were being subjected to “close monitoring”.
“Their visits to the Black Sea have become too frequent,” said Komoyedov.
“Their intensified presence has gone too far.
“They are complying with the Montreux Convention, but the activity of ships from non-Black Sea countries has never been so intensive before, even in the Soviet period.”
Source:- Thesun
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