OREANDA-NEWS. A representative of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson commented on the words of Russian President Vladimir Putin about the incident with the destroyer «Defender» off the coast of Crimea. The kingdom again said that the ship acted in accordance with the norms of international law. This is reported by the Reuters news agency.

During the direct line, Putin noted that the incident was a provocation. And, as the national leader stressed, the United States also participated in it. At the same time, the president does not believe that in the incident with the British destroyer, the world was on the verge of World War III, even if Russian ships had sunk «Defender».

«I have said from the very beginning that this ship of the Royal Navy made a peaceful passage through Ukrainian territorial waters in accordance with international law», he stressed.

On June 23, the Black Sea Fleet and the Border Service of the FSB of Russia expelled the British destroyer «Defender» from the territorial waters of the Russian Federation. The ship violated the state border at Cape Fiolent. The border guards opened a warning fire, and the Su-24M bomber performed a warning bombing, after which the ship left the borders of the Russian Federation.