Russia will continue to defend the country’s territorial waters and may combat any violators with the “harshest methods,” a high-ranking official revealed on Wednesday, warning foreign navies against crossing the country’s border.

Speaking to the newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta, Russian Security Council Deputy Secretary Mikhail Popov addressed last month’s incident with the British warship HMS ‘Defender’, when it purposely violated Russia’s territorial waters, crossing three kilometers over the sea border.

In Popov’s opinion, the move was a “pre-planned provocation that was rightfully thwarted.”

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Following British warship incident, Moscow warns next foreign power to violate Black Sea borders ‘will get a punch in the nose’

According to Russia’s Armed Forces, a coast guard patrol ship fired warning shots, and a bomber dropped bombs in the path of the warship. The Defense Ministry later described Britain’s actions as a violation of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, while London said it had passed peacefully through Ukrainian waters.

“Russia will continue to foil such actions using the harshest methods, regardless of the nationality of the violator,” Popov explained. “We suggest that our opponents think long and hard about plotting such provocations and consider the capabilities of the Russian Armed Forces.”

READ MORE: The NATO-Ukraine Sea Breeze exercise could ultimately help create the circumstances for real conflict with Russia in the Black Sea

Last week, Sergey Ryabkov, Russia’s deputy foreign minister, warned foreign countries that they risk “getting punched in the nose” if they play games in the Black Sea, stressing that incursions across the border could increase the risk of conflict in the region.

“The essence of the problem is the desire of Britain and, of course, the United States, to indulge Kiev,” he said. “It must be explained to them why, next time, they’d be better off leaving their provocations aside and not coming here because they will get a punch in the nose.”

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Russia will continue to defend the country’s territorial waters and may combat any violators with the “harshest methods,” a high-ranking official revealed on Wednesday, warning foreign navies against crossing the country’s border. Read Full Article at RT.com
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