Thread: Fun and games with Britain and Russia near Crimea

Originally Posted by tomcat

...merely testing the limits...no big deal...

A vassal has no choice, even if it's master orders a potential suicide mission.

It replies, "Yes sir", salutes and carries outs the order.

The ship according to a bbc reporter Johnathan Beale was at action station with all weapons loaded.

The crew also refer they have 48 AA missiles to shoot down to 20 Russian planes. No problems if they are hot. If not, the missiles won't make out of the launch tubes.

He also heard "shots being fired".

From 7:42

BBC Radio 4 - The World Tonight, Moscow "fires warning shots" at Royal Navy warship

and here : (his account is at the bottom).

On board HMS Defender

Jonathan Beale, Defence Correspondent

HMS Defender: Russian jets and ships shadow British warship - BBC News

It appears the bbc provides us with two differing sets of "'arry's facts".

Along with 'arrys inadequate grasp of the applicable UNCLOS "rules".

Originally Posted by hallelujah

They're not Russian waters

Russia disagrees.

Originally Posted by harrybarracuda

Oh you and your pesky facts.

Facts are determined by the country who has the ability and will to dissuade an invading force.

Originally Posted by cyrille

The Commander: "You are probably the only maritime asset that has seen a raid of that magnitude in the last 25 years".

No mention of Russian ships close to them, in your video?

An opinion from an ex UK Ambassador who was intimately engaged in creating UNCLOS.

Black Ops in the Black Sea110

June 23, 2021

"Sometimes it is worth stating the obvious. The United Kingdom does not have a coast in the Black Sea.

British warships are not infesting the Black Sea out of a peaceful intent, and there is no cause for them to be entering disputed waters close to anybody’s coast.

This is not a question of freedom of navigation under the UN Convention of the Law of the Sea. There is nowhere that a British warship can be heading from the UK under the right of innocent passage that would require it to pass through coastal waters by Crimea.

The Black Sea is famously a cul-de-sac.

There is certainly a right to pass to the Ukrainian port of Odessa – but that in now way requires passing close to Crimea.

This is therefore not “innocent passage”.

There is a right of passage through the Kerch strait, which Russia has to date respected.

Russia has not just a right but a duty to enforce sea lanes for safe navigation through the strait, exactly as the UK does off Dover.

I expect we will now be in for a mad frenzy of Russophobia, yet again. I shall comment further once I have more details of why and exactly where Russia was firing warning shots.

But just remember this, it was not Russian warships near the British coast, it was British warships in an area where they had no business other than ludicrous, British nationalist, sabre-rattling.

The UK needs to lose its imperial delusions. Sending gunboats to the Crimea is as mad as – well, sailing an aircraft carrier expressly to threaten the Chinese.

There are those who see this activity as evidence of the UK’s continued great power status. I see it as evidence of lunacy."

https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/

UNCLOS

Article 19

Meaning of innocent passage

1. Passage is innocent so long as it is not prejudicial to the peace, good order or security of the coastal State. Such passage shall take place in conformity with this Convention and with other rules of international law.

2. Passage of a foreign ship shall be considered to be prejudicial to the peace, good order or security of the coastal State if in the territorial sea it engages in any of the following activities:

(a) any threat or use of force against the sovereignty, territorial integrity or political independence of the coastal State, or in any other manner in violation of the principles of international law embodied in the Charter of the United Nations;

(b) any exercise or practice with weapons of any kind;

(c) any act aimed at collecting information to the prejudice of the defence or security of the coastal State;

(d) any act of propaganda aimed at affecting the defence or security of the coastal State;

(e) the launching, landing or taking on board of any aircraft;

(f) the launching, landing or taking on board of any military device;

(g) the loading or unloading of any commodity, currency or person contrary to the customs, fiscal, immigration or sanitary laws and regulations of the coastal State;

(h) any act of wilful and serious pollution contrary to this Convention;

(i) any fishing activities;

(j) the carrying out of research or survey activities;

(k) any act aimed at interfering with any systems of communication or any other facilities or installations of the coastal State;

(l) any other activity not having a direct bearing on passage.

Article 25

Rights of protection of the coastal State

1. The coastal State may take the necessary steps in its territorial sea to prevent passage which is not innocent.

2. In the case of ships proceeding to internal waters or a call at a port facility outside internal waters, the coastal State also has the right to take the necessary steps to prevent any breach of the conditions to which admission of those ships to internal waters or such a call is subject.

3. The coastal State may, without discrimination in form or in fact among foreign ships, suspend temporarily in specified areas of its territorial sea the innocent passage of foreign ships if such suspension is essential for the protection of its security, including weapons exercises. Such suspension shall take effect only after having been duly published

SUBSECTION C.

RULES APPLICABLE TO WARSHIPS AND OTHER GOVERNMENT SHIPS OPERATED FOR NON-COMMERCIAL PURPOSES

Article 29

Definition of warships For the purposes of this Convention, "warship" means a ship belonging to the armed forces of a State bearing the external marks distinguishing such ships of its nationality, under the command of an officer duly commissioned by the government of the State and whose name appears in the appropriate35 service list or its equivalent, and manned by a crew which is under regular armed forces discipline.

Article 30

Non-compliance by warships with the laws and regulations of the coastal State

If any warship does not comply with the laws and regulations of the coastal State concerning passage through the territorial sea and disregards any request for compliance therewith which is made to it, the coastal State may require it to leave the territorial sea immediately.

Article 31

Responsibility of the flag State for damage caused by a warship or other government ship operated for non-commercial purposes

The flag State shall bear international responsibility for any loss or damage to the coastal State resulting from the non-compliance by a warship or other government ship operated for non-commercial purposes with the laws and regulations of the coastal State concerning passage through the territorial sea or with the provisions of this Convention or other rules of international law.

Article 32

Immunities of warships and other government ships operated for non-commercial purposes

With such exceptions as are contained in subsection A and in articles 30 and 31, nothing in this Convention affects the immunities of warships and other government ships operated for non-commercial purposes.

http://www.un.org/depts/los/conventi...s/unclos_e.pdf

Isn't Georgia a member of NATO? So if they invite a NATO ship to visit doesn't that ship have the right of navigation etc.. But yes going near Crimea on the way is a bit naughty.
Russians frequently fly aircraft near other's airspace and are tracked, intercepted and encouraged not to fly any closer.