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London said the destroyer followed an internationally recognized corridor on its way from Ukraine to Georgia. They also denied that there was any conflict with Russian forces, even as Moscow said it would bomb trespassing ships next time.
“This is a provocation, of course. It is clear that the destroyer entered (waters near Crimea) pursuing, first of all, military objectives,” Putin said in a live question-and-answer session broadcast on state television. /2021).
“They’re trying to use reconnaissance planes to find out how our troops are going to stop such provocations, to see what’s going on on our side, how things are working and where everything is.” he continued.
Putin said Russia would naturally respond in such a way that it would only give the other party the information Moscow wanted them to have. Also read: Netherlands: Russian jets carried out hoax attack on Dutch frigate in Black Sea
He also said he saw a political component to the incident, which came shortly after he met US President Joe Biden in Geneva.
“The meeting in Geneva just took place, so why is this provocation needed, what is its purpose? To underline that these people do not respect Crimea’s choice to join Russia,” he said.
At the same time, Putin played down the severity of the potential consequences of the incident. Also read: Russia claims its Sputnik V vaccine is 90% effective against the Delta variant
“Even if we had sunk a British destroyer near the Crimea, it would be impossible for the world to be on the verge of a Third World War,” the Russian leader said.
(ian)
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