Home News The British Play a Dangerously Stupid Role in the Black Sea

The British Play a Dangerously Stupid Role in the Black Sea

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Screengrab of footage captured by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) showing the Russian patrol ship firing warning shots in the Black Sea on Wednesday.

By James O’Neill*

Earlier this week a British warship passed within the 12-mile limit of the Crimean border. The incident attracted widespread media coverage. Not the least of the reasons for the coverage was Russia’s reaction to the infringement of Crimean waters by the British ship. In gauging what happened (there are different versions proffered) and its implications one needs, first of all, to sort out the facts.

The British ship, HMS Defender, claimed to be in innocent transition en route to joining Ukrainian ships for a military exercise. The British further insisted that they were not encroaching Russian territorial waters because the British did not accept Crimea’s return to Russia, but insist that it continues to form part of Ukraine.

In that view, the British are joined by most other European nations. It is frankly absurd. Crimea was for hundreds of years part of Russia. The British (and Australians) even fought a war there in the 1850s against Russia. In 1954 the Russian leader Nikita Khrushchev transferred Crimea to Ukraine with neither consulting nor obtaining the consent of the Crimean people.

After the 2014 American-inspired coup in Ukraine, the Crimeans voted to re-join Russia, which duly happened. The West persists in maintaining the absurd fiction that Crimea remains part of Ukraine. Such a position has no support in international law, quite apart from the absurd impracticality of the position.

International law guarantees the right of “innocent passage” of a ship through the waters of another nation. It is here that the British argument also falls down. According to reporters from the Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail, who happened to be onboard the ship, the ship’s guns were fully loaded and ready to fire. Needless to say, this is hardly consistent with innocent passage.

The British claim of innocent passage is further undermined by the blunt fact that they lied about the nature of the incident that occurred between themselves and the Russian ships and planes that reacted to what they perceived as an unwanted intrusion on their coastal waters.

The British claimed that no shots were fired. Not only was this version rebutted by the two reporters on board, but it was also quickly refuted by the Russians who released film footage of the incident. Those sources both confirmed that shots had indeed been fired by the Russians, albeit of a warning nature and not directed at the ship itself.

The captain of the ship wisely decided that retreat was the best option and the ship returned to the open seas. The question then becomes, why did the British embark on such a foolish mission when they must have known that the Russians would react negatively to their presence in Crimean territorial waters? What is emerging is that the whole venture was ordered personally by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Both the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Defence were deeply unhappy at this deliberate provocation of the Russians.

As to why Johnson insisted on this course of action is an open question. Some commentators have suggested that he was acting on behalf of the Americans. This however is less than convincing. The United States is currently making a major effort to improve relations with the Russians, and it is highly unlikely that they would want to encourage the British in what would inevitably be perceived as a provocative exercise.

A second hypothesis is that the British were attempting to create a problem between Russia and their former partners in the European Union, particularly Germany and France who reports suggest are currently wanting a meeting between the European Union and Russia’s President Putin. This theory has more validity. The United Kingdom is increasingly the odd man out in European relations with Russia.

United Kingdom – Russia relations have significantly deteriorated in recent years, with the deterioration accelerating since the alleged assassination attempts upon Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in 2018. Neither of them has been seen or heard from for months. Yulia has been prevented from returning to Russia, which is her apparent wish. It is a measure of how far the United Kingdom has departed from normal standards and particularly legal standards, in their refusal to account for what has happened to the Skripals, and in refusing to allow Yulia to return home. It is a measure of their arrogance that they have not even bothered to justify their position.

The incident in the Black Sea may therefore be seen as a further example of British disregard for the rules of appropriate conduct. Picking a fight with Russia, they no doubt see it as making a point about Britain’s role in the world. To the rest of the world however, this is simply seen as I further illustration of British arrogance, the last desperate gasps of a minor power whose pretension exceeded the reality of its rapidly fading position.

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36 COMMENTS

  1. This is the clip

    “Footage shows the incident in which the Russian Su-24M warned the Type-45 destroyer from the UK against alleged violation of the maritime territory.

    • A couple of things missing from the main story:
      1. London had an aircraft carrier parked off Greece somewhere
      2. The Russia-Germany pipeline has been a raging success. Maybe the petro-dollar is bigger than anything and everything. Everyone understands M.A.D. so is this how push comes to shove … who wants to spend the most money sending assets to the ocean floor, and who will lose or gain the most political capital doing so ?

  2. • DEFENDING the Truth – The Royal Navy & Russia

    “The Royal Navy destroyer HMS DEFENDER has found herself at the heart of a global news story, following her innocent passage in international waters recently. Last week the ship, part of the Carrier Strike Group 21 deployment, visited the Black Sea, and went to the Ukraine for a routine port visit. Sadly, Russian reaction this was loud and vociferous, although ultimately about as effectual as non-alcoholic vodka…

    For centuries, the Royal Navy has exercised its right to sail globally on innocent passage through international waters – it is one of the most fundamental parts of being a maritime power, the ability to sail at a time and place of your choosing to a location of your choice.

    Unfortunately, the Russian Federation, following its illegal annexation of Crimea several years ago, incorrectly regards these waters as their territorial waters, something not recognised by other nations. This therefore led to a strong response by Russia to try to persuade the RN to stand off. Ultimately, they failed.”

    https://thinpinstripedline.blogspot.com/2021/06/defending-truth-royal-navy-russia.html

    You can NOT make this stuff up!!!

  3. I note that the British warship did not appear to have a flag or pennant flying. Is this today usual? In times gone by if a warship was not “involved” or at peace, it had a pennant flying from aft of vessel.

  4. Russia warns Britain it will bomb ships next time

    LONDON/MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russia warned Britain on Thursday that it would bomb British naval vessels in the Black Sea if there were any further provocative actions by the British navy off the coast of Russia-annexed Crimea.

    Russia summoned the British ambassador in Moscow for a formal diplomatic scolding after the warship breached what the Kremlin says are its territorial waters but which Britain and most of the world say belong to Ukraine.

    Britain said Russia was giving an inaccurate account of the incident. No warning shots had been fired and no bombs had been dropped in the path of the Royal Navy destroyer Defender, it said.

    In Moscow, Russia summoned Ambassador Deborah Bronnert for a reprimand over what it said were Britain’s “dangerous” action in the Black Sea – while foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused London of “barefaced lies”.

    “We can appeal to common sense, demand respect for international law, and if that doesn’t work, we can bomb,” Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told Russian news agencies.

    Ryabkov, referring to Moscow’s version of events in which a Russian aircraft bombed the path of the British destroyer, said that in future bombs would be sent “not only in its path, but also on target.”

    The Black Sea, which Russia uses to project its power in the Mediterranean, has for centuries been a flashpoint between Russia and its competitors such as Turkey, France, Britain and the United States.

    Russia seized and annexed the Crimea peninsula from Ukraine in 2014 and considers areas around its coast to be Russian waters. Western countries deem the Crimea to be part of Ukraine and reject Russia’s claim to the seas around it………………

    https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/reuters/russia-warns-britain-it-will-bomb-ships-next-time/46731518

  5. “However, the use of a TSS as part of an innocent passage is somewhat made irrelevant given the BBC report that consider the ship making a “deliberate move to make a point to Russia.” Not exactly innocent passage in the cited context given”.

    Sailing into Black Sea trouble: the right of innocent passage (with some caveats of course)

    “…………..Back in April 2021, a coastal warning No 152/21 was issued “on the temporary suspension of the right of innocent passage for foreign warships and state-owned vessels” for the Black Sea near the entrance to the Kerchenska Strait and around the southern coast of the Crimean Peninsula during the period from April 24 to 31 October 2021. This was followed by another warning No 0392/21.

    Effectively, Russia created an obstacle and limitations on only navigation of warships and government-owned vessels. (The aspect that the think tank experts and pundits miss completely). To note, that this is situation of suspending the right to innocent passage is provided under international law, not you would hear much about it, under the status of “occupying power”, irrespective of whether Russia is the ‘coastal state’ or not. This status is confirmed by the UN Assembly Resolution 68/292, (For further details – legal opinion provided by Stefan Tamlon on Russia’s restrictions of warships in the Black Sea). This maritime precedent was set by the U.S. in 2004 in Iraq. Thus, the current administration of a territory is a distinct element as to the question whether Russia has lawfully gained Crimea or not.

    b. No prior notification or authorisation for transit. — Contentious and thorny issue all round. Not going down any of those rabbit holes now.

    c. Initial disregard of multiple radio requests to change course, followed by refusal to comply with directions. (Radio comms) (Just that alone would suffice getting an Article 30 situation requirement to “leave the territorial sea immediately’).

    The catch-all for the coastal state to use: “any other activity not having a direct bearing on passage. “.

    One thing is for sure, Russia has not stated publicly the reasons why it took issue to the transit of HMS Defender, under UNCLOS.

    d. The UK stated that HMS Defender was passing through Ukrainian waters in a commonly used and internationally recognised transit route. (see image).

    There is a Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) in area, (internationally recognised by the IMO), so this is what is being referred to and referred to in Article 25 of UNCLOS. This is also mentioned in the BBC report:

    However, the use of a TSS as part of an innocent passage is somewhat made irrelevant given the BBC report that consider the ship making a “deliberate move to make a point to Russia.” Not exactly innocent passage in the cited context given. (See also point 2 on mode of operation below to see how the concept of using an internationally or legally (as the BBC reported) recognised transit route got mangled and made a farce of. This is not the same as transits through the Dover Straits, (straits is the keyword here and there is a huge difference in re UNCLOS rules)…………………..’

    https://uprootedpalestinians.wordpress.com/2021/06/26/sailing-into-black-sea-trouble-the-right-of-innocent-passage-with-some-caveats-of-course/

  6. Well Morrison and ‘allbets’and co.
    Would you Canberra swamp leave us out of this?
    We have suffered too much from the Northern hemisphere boys in the sandpit kicking sand with their toys of mass destruction.
    Just look up how the bankers are screwing us with more wars to protect their monetary feudal control.
    https://www.whatreallyhappened.com ‘All wars are banker’s wars’
    Let the bankers blow up their world in the Northern hemisphere and then close down our borders to any of the survivors, they make their own bed, let them sleep in it.

  7. More geopolitical stuff (closer to home)
    When China grabbed the Philippines maritime assets, Indonesia decided they better move the capital from sinking Jakarta to a new place on the south-east part of Borneo. Otherwise anyone could come and grab their maritime assets I guess.
    Now the CCP has decided better be more friendly and opened up dialog and doing the Indonesians a little fast train (stage 1 we should presume).
    Apparently one goal is some type of deal over the straits of Malacca (north-west of Singapore).
    They will probably have some ideas for West Papua in good time.

  11. Another hypothesis,

    Overture, curtain lights, … we know every part by heart

    There is one born every minute, so the show must go on — break a leg.

    The chance of accidental confict would be zero of course, since nobody can pull the pin manually.
    However, I’ll wait for tiktok sailors dancing like its 1946 before I deride the event.

    Over to you, BrizVegas’s Big Ben Lee

    • “I couldn’t breathe” said Dicktator Dan on the news this morning, working in a line which is a proven winner with the support base. I’m informed by his memory failure excuses for the quarantining debacles that he will try to circulate ANY line with a super-straight face, with the full media-training delivery. Even when the entire thing is falling apart, he is a one-trick pony, he has his delivery style and that’s all there is. The doting wife seems to have had the media training too,.on positive reinforcement duties doing the noddies, on this assemblage of takes.
      We have heard and seen nothing from DD during his stress leave, if he was smashed up, he wasn’t hobbling around on crutches or in his wheelchair, no, he was too busy about to die !!! He was so close to death for months and now he has popped back out fully refreshed and ready to read whatever comes on the autocue.
      So what was he doing in the last few months, I’m sure time-management skills did not go completely on hold, if he was studying Chinese for the duration, it would indicate Victoria is not out of the woods with this guy, in fact the whole ALP seems to be becoming a subsidiary of the CCP. Even further to that, joining the ALP seems to be a job for life.
      Someone would think I was a hard core conservative voter, no it’s worse than that, I am more like an evangelical reformed cigarette smoker who now hates the tobacco industry. I haven’t switched to vaping or gone on harder drugs, I’m happy these days with clean air.

      • Serendipitously, I can caste light on this.

        I once had the same injuries. Slightly different circumstances though. I was launched several metres in the air by a flying two metre cable drum, which was catapaulted by a failed winch drum. But I landed on my back ten metres away, and with four broken ribs from the cable drum impact. So basicaly, the same injuries. Cause is irrelevant.

        Like Andrew, I could not breathe for some time; which is why everybody thought I was dead. So that part of his story has the ring of truth about it. But I was back to work heavy labouring in a week. Why was Andrew off for two months?

        It is possible he is using the genuine stairs accident to cover up his near-death mRNA jab reaction. Why? Because I beieve all politicians and medical bureaucrats have been advised that recanting on the covid programme will be even worse for their health, let alone careers.

        One recanter was found to have committed suicide, with two bullets to the back of the head. Clever bloke though.

        • While trying to impress my 6 year old boy I took the drop at our local skatepark some 9ish years ago. Flat bearings had replaced roller so my timing was out.Flat on my back, heared the crack that is known to rugby. I can assure you broken ribs, as I knew the pain regardless of xray.

          They got to Dan through his lack of thought, through his family.

          Dan has doubled down, so brake a leg Dan or become a truth asset.

        • Closer to 3 months, his excuse is he needed the full rehab, of which there was no supporting evidence supplied, makes me agree with the theoreticians that he had some facial injuries.
          You’re right the back injuries take a couple of weeks but the effects linger for a lifetime. Follow the timeline and treat all stories as fabricated. The public is too impatient for anything involving time, they only understand “instant”.
          For the quaxxine, I don’t believe they would ordinarily risk their assets with “real” quaxxine.
          The timeline is, the CCP deal was struck down at the same time as Dicktator Dan disappeared. I think this is as good a clue as anything. The CCP is big on swift and harsh punishment, to me it looks like in this case, for failure to deliver a deal.

          • Another clue is, Dicktator Dan’s stairs did not come flying at him like a drum flung by a cable, for the stairs story to ring true, the increase in velocity over a 1 metre drop would have to be powered by many times gravity, or else a straight drop a lot higher than a tread.
            Bones are pretty strong as anyone knows.
            He says he was horizontal and airborne, why is this, did he jump up as he began his rotation ? Gravity only works downwards.

      • In the other room …
        The reclining rodent is on the TV news going on attack mode, looks like he will be attracting scrutiny, possibly slip on the stairs again when the heat gets too much, or 6 months on full pay mental health leave a la Andrew ROBb. I’m victim !!! boo-hoo, they pushed me to paid leave !!! sob sob

  13. Serco has built state of the craft prisons, over all states in past decade. They are not old ww2 fibro sheds as shown on msm bs. Could these detention facilities be used for ‘Covid isolation’ now that hotel honeymoon at victims expense is halted? Without doubt, this internet virus has been in the making since 911, bsl4 labs confirm one world government. Crown Serco have prepared these concentration camps for their eugenics agenda. Seriously, before the lie of the century, where was the term ‘lockdown’ used? In prisons only, that alone implies that we are now all in mates. These are the vermin in control. The web has enslaved all to feudal slavery, where murdering oligarchs (robber barons) plunder and destroy without any opposition.

  14. Before this Corona lie the term ‘lockdown’ was used in prisons only, but the implication now is that if you are not in lockdown, you are on parole. We are all in this together, inmates

  16. Death By Medicine – The Greatest Scandal Of 21st Century
    by GreatGameIndia

    In his book Deadly Medicines and Organized Crime, Dr. Peter Gotzsche arguably recognized as one of the world’s foremost experts in evaluating evidence-based medicine (EBM) writes, “The reason why we take so many drugs is that drug companies do not sell drugs. They sell lies about drugs…. The patients do not realize that although their doctors know a lot about diseases, human physiology and psychology, they know very little about the drugs that have been concocted and dressed up by the drug industry.”

    Read more of this post

    https://greatgameindia.com/death-by-vaccine-scandal/

  17. Back to O’Neill’s excellent and entertaining story…

    Nobody has commented on the key deception, that the West’s denial of the Crimean Referendum, in which 98% voted to return to Mother Russia; which is referred to by we “freedom and democracy” warriors as “Russian annexation”; graphically proves the implacable US/NATO hostility to Genuine Democracy.

    A national referendum is almost as pure a manifestation of genuine democracy as it is possible to achieve in a political-party-ridden state. And everywhere it happens it is condemned by the US. So hostile is America to democracy that it invaded and occupied 57 of these, and failed to foment right wing revolution in several others.

    The other aspect of O’Neill’s story that has gone unremarked, is the NATO troop build-up on Russia’s southern borders. This was a dipping-the-toes-in-the-water exercise, which precipitated rapid withdrawal when Putin sent the same volume in troops, plus many high-power missiles, to match the silly chess move. Checkmate, and the US, badly stung, sent Biden in to hose down the heat.

    As I am so fond of saying, it’s all about context.

    • In those old Russian books, Dostoyevsky and so forth, the Crimea was their version of Bali, they would get down there whenever they could.
      Kruschev obviously had some deals going when he reassigned it to Ukraine, and they gas pipelines through Ukraine have been a major bone of contention for years now, since the breakup of the USSR I guess, but it’s all fixed now by the Baltic pipeline so Ukraine is out of luck. Merkel Germany made arrangements with Putin and everyone else was cut out of the deal !!! Putin doesn’t need one-belt-road, Russia straddles everything.

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