Russia news – live: Moscow releases video of Black Sea clash as Johnson says British navy ‘entirely right’

The Russian FSB coastguard has released video footage filmed on board one of its vessels during the HMS Defender incident yesterday.

Russia claims one of its warships fired warning shots and a warplane dropped bombs in the path of the British destroyer to drive it away from waters near the Crimean city of Sevastopol.

However, Britain has denied that account, insisting the ship wasn’t fired upon and that it was sailing in Ukrainian waters.

The footage appears to show some warning fire coming from the Russian coastguard vessel, however HMS Defender is seen some way off in the distance and there is no evidence of the bombs.

In the six-minute long clip, a crew member on board HMS Defender can be heard telling the coastguard via radio that the British warship is “conducting innocent passage” which it has “the right to do so in accordance with international rules” as two jets fly overhead.

“Your actions are unsafe, unprofessional and in danger of both of our vessels,” he asks, adding: “Are you threatening me?”

The coastguard replies: “Please change your course and keep clear. Please follow outside, keep away from border line or be worried of incidents, change your course to starboard and follow clear.”

Someone then shouts commands in Russian to “carry out warning fire in the path of Defender” but to “exclude hitting Defender” and to “continue watching Defender closely”.

The clip ends with HMS Defender insisting it will continue to follow the internationally-recognised route.

Russian navy chief, Admirlal Nikolai Yevmenov, has said HMS Defender’s move was clearly provocative and that it ignored the warnings in a bid to test Russia's resolve.

"They came to see how we act," he told reporters in St. Petersburg. "And they only reacted to the power of weapons. Our navy acted in a competent and safe manner to stop the provocation."

In April, Russia declared a broader area off Crimea closed to foreign naval ships until November, a move that drew strong protests from Ukraine and the West.

HMS Defender, launched in December 2009, is the fifth of the Royal Navy’s six Type 45 destroyers and is one of the most advanced warships ever, according to the Ministry of Defence.

Matt Mathers takes a look at the specs:

Our free, daily politics newsletters are there to guide you through the political turmoil – from Brexit to the Covid crisis – keeping you up to date on all the key developments and providing short, sharp analysis of what’s really going on at Westminster and beyond.

Inside Politics, the morning briefing, offers you a wry look at the latest spats and wild statements, the best of the commentary happening on Twitter, as well as pointing you towards some of the finest long-reads and opinion pieces at The Independent and elsewhere.

In the evening, a View From Westminster is delivered by The Independent’s chief politcal commentator John Rentoul. The newsletter offers all the latest from the inside track, with a short round-up of what you need to know to understand the news.

The Inside Politics email will arrive in your inbox every weekday at 8am. A View From Westminster will arrive at 6pm every weekday. You can sign up for the free emails here.

Russia’s foreign ministry said it delivered a strongly-worded protest to Britain’s ambassador to Moscow on Thursday over what it described as the “dangerous and provocative actions” of a British warship in the Black Sea.

In a statement, the foreign ministry said it told the envoy, Deborah Bronnert, that Britain would be fully responsible for any consequences if a similar incident happened again.

Our columnist Keir Giles think Moscow needs to tell its people two stories over the Black Sea incident – that it is under threat from a dangerous, aggressive west, but also that Russia itself is strong and can protect itself. Read more here:

The Independent columnist Cathy Newman says it won’t be long before the next confrontation with Russia.

The Channel 4 News host – who interviewed Russian ambassador to the UK Andrei Kelin last night – think it’s hard to envisage Russia entirely shedding its “pariah status” despite the Geneva summit and EU efforts to restart dialogue.

“It surely can’t be too long before the next diplomatic fracas sails into view,” Newman writes in her latest piece. Read more here:

In a written statement to MPs, defence secretary Ben Wallace said Russian aircraft performed manoeuvres that were “neither safe nor professional” during the Black Sea incident.

Setting out the details of the encounter, he said HMS Defender entered the traffic separation scheme shipping lane inside Ukrainian territorial waters at 9.50am BST.

Ten minutes later a Russian coastguard vessel “warned that Russian units would shortly commence a live fire gunnery exercise”.

Eight minutes after that HMS Defender “noted gunnery astern and out of range of her position”. Wallace claimed “this posed no danger to HMS Defender”.

The minister added: “The Royal Navy will always uphold international law and will not accept unlawful interference with innocent passage.”

The UK’s Black Sea row with Russia comes as France and Germany are seeking to build bridges between Brussels and Moscow.

The PM’s official spokesman said: “It’s a matter for Germany and France ... we would obviously support engagement with Russia in order to deliver tough messages and encourage a change in their behaviour.”

He added: “We remain open to a different relationship but for that to happen the Russian government must choose a different path.”

The EU should resume dialogue with Russia to safeguard the stability of the continent, French president Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday.

“We need a dialogue to defend our interests ... it is a dialogue necessary for the stability of the European continent,” Macron said on entering an EU gathering in Brussels that will discuss the 27-nation bloc’s relations with Russia – and the possibility of a summit with Putin.

Macon and German chancellor Angela Merkel will try to persuade EU leaders to relaunch regular meetings with Putin.

“We cannot stay in a purely reactive logic when it comes to Russia,” said Macron. “I hope that we can, with real European unity and coordination, have this ... dialogue.”