US reconnaissance aircraft involved in warning shot incident with UK, claims Putin

In an incident when Russia fired warning shots as the British ship travelled in disputed waters near Crimea. 

During a call-in show Wednesday, Putin said the incident was a “provocation” to test Moscow, adding that the U.S. aircraft was there to monitor Russia’s response to the presence of the British ship. 

Last Wednesday, Russia’s defence ministry said that it had “warned in advance that weapons would be used” if the UK’s HMS Defender entered into Russian-claimed waters, adding that it fired warning shots to ward off the ship around Russia’s main naval base near Crimea. 

However, the U.K. quickly denied the Russian account, saying that it was travelling in Ukrainian waters. 

While Russia claims Crimea and its surrounding waters as its own since its 2014 annexation, the U.K., the U.S. and much of the international community still consider Crimea as part of Ukraine. 

According to the foreign news agency, Putin expressed doubt when asked if last week’s incident could have sparked war, arguing that the Western countries would not have been able to come out as the winners, even if Russia had destroyed the U.K. ship. 

A day after Russia said it had fired warning shots, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said that the country would bomb British vessels should they enter the disputed waters in the Black Sea again. 

"We can appeal to common sense, demand respect for international law, and if that doesn't work, we can bomb," Ryabkov told Russian media.