The dangerous maneuvering of the Dutch frigate Evertsen in the Black Sea was a deliberate provocation, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing on Thursday.
"The conclusion suggests, of course, that the dangerous maneuvering of the Dutch frigate was also a deliberate provocation," she said.
Zakharova stressed that contrary to the claims of the Dutch side, the flights of Russian aircraft were carried out in full compliance with international rules of airspace use. "Any attempts to interpret this in the way the Netherlands did, we will consider simply dishonest throw-ins," the diplomat pointed out.
"We have not been provided with any explanations, as well as evidence of some kind of aggression," Zakharova pointed out. - "Given that the Evertsen incident took place the day after the incident with the British destroyer Defender, it is hard to refuse the pleasure to emphasize that the Dutch side acted in a coordinated manner both through NATO and directly in contact with British partners".
On Tuesday, the Dutch Defense Ministry issued a statement that Russian fighter jets allegedly created an unsafe situation in the Black Sea by flying too low over the frigate Evertsen. The incident occurred on June 24, when the warship was southeast of Crimea. From the point of view of the Dutch side, by its actions, Russia violated the right to freedom of navigation, as well as bilateral agreements, including the agreement on the prevention of incidents at sea, which is aimed at eliminating unsafe situations at sea.
In its turn, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that the Dutch frigate was moving towards the Kerch Strait, due to which Russian fighter jets and bombers were raised to prevent Russian border violations. The military department specified that "the flights of Russian aircraft were carried out in accordance with the international rules of airspace use.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Creative Commons
Based on materials from TASS