Deoborah Bronnert,British Ambassador to Russia, was summoned to the Russian Foreign Ministry on November 3 to lodge a protest over the UK’s involvement in a “terrorist attack” against the Black Sea Fleet in the Crimean port of Sevastopol.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia said,”A strong protest in connection with the British military specialists’ active participation in training and providing supplies to the units of the Ukrainian special operations forces, including with the goal of conducting acts of sabotage at sea, were expressed to the Ambassador. Concrete facts of that kind of activities by London were provided.”
The demarche emphasised how such combative behaviour by the British raises the possibility of an escalation and can have unforeseen and hazardous results.
“Such confrontational actions by the British pose the threat of an escalation and can lead to unpredictable and dangerous consequences,” tweeted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia.
It was emphasised that this hostile provocation were unacceptable, and it was demanded that they stop right now.
In the meantime, Russia issued a warning that, should these aggressive actions, which have direct ramifications for the conflict, continue, the British side will be solely responsible for any negative effects and the escalating hostilities between the two nations.
The release added, “It was noted, in particular, that an agreement was reached in September 2020 between London and Kyiv to expand the British instructors’ training programme for Ukrainian military divers. In late 2020, the parties began implementing the Naval Training Initiative for the Ukrainian Navy, which included training courses for combat swimmers.”
It was emphasised that this hostile provocation were unacceptable, and it was demanded that they stop right now.
In the meantime, Russia issued a warning that, should these aggressive actions, which have direct ramifications for the conflict, continue, the British side will be solely responsible for any negative effects and the escalating hostilities between the two nations.
“A military diving school in Odessa (which is part of the Ukrainian Navy’s 198th training centre, Military Unit A3163, Nikolayev), is training special operations divers, including in deep-sea subversive skills, among others,” added the release.