London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Russia's Putin accuses UK and US of military provocation

Russia's Putin accuses UK and US of military provocation

Russia's Vladimir Putin has accused the UK and US military of staging a "complex provocation," after British warship HMS Defender sailed near the coast of Russian-annexed Crimea.

While there was no risk of starting World War Three, he said, he believed it was part of an attempt to set up military bases in or near Ukraine.

President Putin alleged a US spy plane was part of the operation too.

The Royal Navy rejected the Russian account of what happened on 23 June.

BBC correspondent Jonathan Beale, on board HMS Defender at the time, said it had been buzzed by Russian warplanes and coastguard vessels had threatened to open fire on the ship. While some firing had taken place, he said it was well out of range.

Reiterating the navy's explanation, Prime Minister Boris Johnson's spokesman said on Wednesday that the destroyer "was conducting innocent passage through Ukrainian territorial waters in accordance with international law".

A separate encounter in the Black Sea has since been reported the following day by the Dutch navy, which has accused Russian fighter jets of repeatedly harassing its ship, HNLMS Evertsen.


After last week's incident involving HMS Defender, the British ambassador was summoned by the Russian foreign ministry, which protested against what it said was a violation of its territory. Crimea was seized by Russia in 2014 but most of the international community considers it to be part of Ukraine.

Classified UK documents assessing Russia's likely response have since been found dumped near a bus stop in Kent, in south-east England.

What Putin said


Asked during his annual TV phone-in with Russian citizens whether the incident risked provoking World War Three, the Russian president said even if HMS Defender had been sunk that would not have happened.

"They know they cannot win this conflict: we would be fighting for our own territory; we didn't travel thousands of miles to get to their borders, they did," he said.

However, he did accuse the UK and the US of mounting a co-ordinated, provocative operation to assess Russia's response.

Mr Putin pointed out he had personally ordered troops to pull back from Ukraine's borders two months ago, as international concern intensified over what Russia insisted was nothing more than military exercises.

Now he said that British and US forces were trying to open up military bases, "making Ukrainian territory close or on the border with Russia a military platform that is a threat to Russian security". He also linked it to his summit with President Joe Biden in Geneva the week before.

He suggested that a US reconnaissance plane had taken off from a Nato airfield in Greece, possibly from Crete.


However, he did not mention Dutch naval accusations that Russian warplanes armed with missiles had flown dangerously low, staging "mock attacks" on the frigate HNLMS Evertsen south-east of Crimea.

Dutch Defence Minister Ank Bijleveld insisted the ship had every right to sail there and there was no justification for "this kind of aggressive action that unnecessarily heightens the risk of accidents".

The Russian defence ministry has since said that Su-30 fighters and Su-24 bombers were scrambled and carried out flights "at a safe distance" from the ship.

President Putin has made clear he blames Nato and its expansion for the conflict in eastern Ukraine which erupted in 2014. Russian-backed separatists took control of large areas of the east after Moscow seized Crimea.

But Mr Putin wrote in an article published last week that the US had organised a coup in Ukraine and Europe had actively supported it.


Jonathan Beale: "We're being shadowed by a Russian warship"



Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×