Russia expels British warship violating its sea border: media

MOSCOW - Russia's Black Sea Fleet and Federal Security Service have expelled a British warship that violated the country's territorial waters, the Russian Defense Ministry's Zvezda broadcasting service reported on Wednesday.

The British destroyer HMS Defender crossed Russia's border in the northwestern part of the Black Sea at 11:52 am Moscow time (0852 GMT) after going 3 km beyond the sea border in the area of Cape Fiolent, it said.

The British vessel ignored warnings on the possible use of weapons from the Russian side, causing a Russian border patrol ship to fire warning shots, it added.

At 12:19 pm Moscow time (0919 GMT), Russia's Black Sea Fleet Su-24M aircraft dropped bombs along the destroyer's path as a warning.

The British warship left the Russian territorial waters at 12:23 pm local time (0923 GMT).

Later on Wednesday, the British Defense Ministry reportedly denied "the claim" that warning shots were fired against a British Navy ship in the Black Sea, and it believed that Russia was conducting gunnery exercises there.