London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Jul 07, 2026

Russian Defense Ministry summons British Defense Attache over Black Sea 'warning shots' dispute

Russian Defense Ministry summons British Defense Attache over Black Sea 'warning shots' dispute

British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said he's 'not surprised' by Russia's 'false' claims

The Russian Defense Ministry summoned the Defense Attache at the British Embassy after British officials dismissed claims that Russia fired shots at a Royal Navy destroyer.

The spat started Wednesday morning when Russian defense officials claimed that a border patrol boat fired shots at the HMS Defender after it entered territorial waters in the Black Sea.

Additionally, a Su-24M warplane allegedly dropped four bombs close to the ship, Sky News reported. The exchange may have taken place near the coast of Crimea.


The British Military of Defense immediately pushed back on the claims, instead stating that no warning shots were fired, nor were any bombs dropped near the warship.


"The Royal Navy ship is conducting innocent passage through Ukrainian territorial waters in accordance with international war," the ministry tweeted. "We believe the Russians were undertaking a gunnery exercise in the Black Sea and provided the maritime community with prior-warning of their activity."

"No shots were directed at HMS Defender and we do not recognise the claim that bombs were dropped in her path."

Russian officials responded to the U.K.’s rebuke by summoning the Defense Attache.

British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace appeared before the Commons Defense Committee, reportedly confirming that crewmembers did hear "training noises" but nothing within "visual range."

He also claimed that Russia has previously made false statements of driving out British ships in the Black Sea.

"These are the things that come and go with Russia. Disinformation, misinformation is something that we have seen regularly. We are not surprised by it," Wallace said. "We plan for it and we take all steps to make sure we are not escalatory or provocative.

"As is normal for this route, she entered an internationally recognised traffic separation corridor," Wallace said in a public statement. "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."

Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in 2014, a move that wasn’t recognized by most countries in the world. Russia has frequently chafed at NATO warships visits to the Black Sea, casting them as destabilizing, even though NATO members Turkey, Greece, Romania and Bulgaria all are on the Black Sea.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Met Office Issues Heatwave Alerts for London and Southern England
Keir Starmer Blocks Earlier World Cup Kick-Off Time for England Match Against Mexico
NHS Digital Transformation and Media Consolidation Highlight UK Policy Priorities
UK Government Pushes Digital Trade Rules to Cut Export Costs for Businesses
Bank of England Plans Leverage Rule Changes to Support Government Bond Market
UK Police Operation Targets Organised Immigration Crime Networks With Hundreds of Arrests
Yvette Cooper Calls for Global AI Rules to Prevent Security Risks
NHS Begins Major AI Expansion Through £10 Billion Digital Investment Programme
UK Government Tightens Rules on Political Donations to Limit Foreign Influence
Keir Starmer Defends UK Defence Spending Plan at NATO Summit in Turkey
Comcast’s Sky Agrees £1.6 Billion Deal to Acquire ITV Media and Entertainment Division
Senior NHS Doctors Vote in Favour of Renewed Strike Action Over Pay Dispute
Andy Burnham Set to Succeed Keir Starmer as Labour Leadership Nominations Open
Microsoft Lays Off 4,800 Employees and Xbox Suffers the Hardest Blow
Deep Purple Has Released Its Best Album in Decades
Office for National Statistics Updates Historical Investment Data Review to Improve Accuracy
Department for Science, Innovation and Technology Highlights Economic Gains From Digital Inclusion
Debate Intensifies Over UK Defence Strategy and Domestic Security Priorities
Report Warns Full Transport Accessibility Could Add £176 Billion to UK Economy Annually
Medicines Regulator Approves First Targeted Treatment for Advanced Merkel Cell Skin Cancer
Government Commits £22 Million to Brighton Seafront Infrastructure Renewal and Transport Safety
National Security Bill Returns to House of Commons Amid Calls to Protect Humanitarian Work
Government Tightens Overseas Political Donation Rules to Strengthen Safeguards Against Foreign Influence
NHS Maternity Reform Expands Central Oversight After Critical National Review
Dover Border Warnings Highlight Post-Brexit Pressure on Cross-Channel Trade
Private Nuclear Consortium Advances £35 Billion Small Reactor Strategy in UK
UK Labour Leadership Signals Shift Toward Reindustrialisation and Regional Power
House of Lords Debates Rail Nationalisation Bill to Create Great British Railways
Scottish Affairs Committee Expands Inquiry Into SNP Financial Conduct
Evri Launches £1.2 Million Defamation Case Against BBC Over Panorama Investigation
Port of Dover Warns of Border Delays as EU Entry-Exit System Looms
Nigel Farage Referred to Standards Watchdog Over Alleged Undeclared Benefits
UK Government Faces Scrutiny Over Claimed AI Datacentre Investment After FOI Findings
UK and India Finalise Trade Agreement Rules Ahead of Mid-July Implementation
UK Government Establishes National Maternity Commissioner After Major Review of NHS Care Failures
Private Consortium Plans £35 Billion UK Nuclear Programme Targeting Small Modular Reactor Rollout
Andy Burnham Sets Out Ten-Year Reindustrialisation and Devolution Plan as Leadership Transition to UK Premiership Advances
Morocco and France Advance as 2026 FIFA World Cup Enters Quarterfinals.
Historic 2026 Tour de France Opens in Barcelona With Revamped Team Time Trial.
Global Mergers and Acquisitions Approach $4 Trillion Defying Geopolitical Tumult.
Negotiators Advance 20-Point Framework for Gaza Ceasefire and Demilitarization.
OECD Warns Middle East Conflict Will Depress Global Economic Growth.
Ukrainian Drones Strike Major Oil Terminal in St. Petersburg.
World Meteorological Organization Issues Urgent Alert Over Rapidly Intensifying El Niño.
United States Commemorates 250th Anniversary With Diplomatic Summits and Global Flotilla.
Iran Begins Days-Long Funeral for Supreme Leader Khamenei Amid Strait of Hormuz Standoff.
Technology giant reports surging carbon emissions driven by artificial intelligence infrastructure demands.
Artificial intelligence adoption accelerates workforce reductions across the technology and financial sectors.
Global technology and financial conglomerates collaborate to launch a new stablecoin standard.
United States regulators lift export restrictions on a major frontier artificial intelligence model.
×