Original title: For the first time after the Cold War, Russia expelled NATO warships with live ammunition!
Source: Niu Tanqin
(One)
I can only say that Russia is ruthless.
According to the Associated Press, this is the first time since the Cold War that Russia admitted to firing live ammunition on NATO warships and forcefully expelling British warships.
Anyway, looking at Russia’s announcement, Russia was very angry. Fighters swept through the formation and guns were loaded. The situation was at a critical point.
1. According to Russia, the destroyer of the British Royal Navy invaded Russian territorial waters at noon on the 23rd for 3 kilometers, close to the Russian naval base Sevastopol in Crimea.
2. After the verbal warning was invalid, at 12:06 and 12:08, the Russian warship issued a warning to the British warship, “If you do not change the course, I will fire.”
3. The Russian Black Sea Fleet also dispatched Su-24M bombers. At 12:19, they threw 4 OFAB-250 uncontrolled navigation bombs in front of the British warship. Please note that it is live ammunition.
4. Soon, 4 minutes later, the British warship left the waters. Looking at the video released by the Russian side, the British warships have indeed been shooting and targeting by the Russian side.
5. Russia’s anger still remains. Zakharova, a spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, criticized “British blatantly provoking international law” and said that Russia would also summon the British ambassador to Russia to protest.
6. The military attaché of the British Embassy has been summoned to the Russian Ministry of Defense and received a scolding on the table. The Russian side also requested that your British side immediately “conduct a thorough investigation of the conduct of the ship’s personnel.”
7. What is surprising is that in the same incident, the British Ministry of Defense said completely opposite: British warships did not enter Russian territorial waters. “We believe that the Russian side was conducting an artillery exercise in the Black Sea at that time, and they sent their message to the maritime community in advance. Activity warning. No one fired on the Guardian, and we do not accept the claim that (Russia) dropped bombs on the’Guardian’ channel.”
8. Wallace, the British Secretary of Defense, also declared that these are all Russian propaganda tactics. “We often see (from the Russian side) that we have spread rumors and misrepresentations. We are not surprised. We have been prepared long ago.”
9. The reporter accompanying the BBC on the British warship revealed that there were indeed more than 20 aircraft hovering over the British ship, and two Russian ships were trailing. The Russian side issued “If you do not change the course, I will fire.” I also heard fire in the distance…
10. Ukraine naturally criticized Russia’s aggression and provocation. Uzbek Foreign Minister Kuleba said that it was Russia’s “occupation and militarization” of Crimea that posed a serious threat to Ukraine and its allies. “As I said before, NATO’s Black Sea allies need to establish a new alliance with Ukraine. Cooperation”.
Understand?
Russia: I fired live ammunition to destroy the British warship.
United Kingdom: I didn’t hear it, I didn’t see it.
Ukraine: Russia is too arrogant, we need to cooperate more.
The background here is the recent tension between Russia and Ukraine. The West has always refused to recognize Russia’s victory over Crimea. Therefore, Russia considers this to be Russian territorial waters, but the West believes that this is still Ukraine’s territory.
Also on the 23rd, Putin also issued ruthless remarks, warning of NATO’s step-by-step pressing: We will never allow anyone to break this balance. On the same day, Russian Defense Minister Shoigu also declared: The situation in Europe is explosive and the world is sinking rapidly in a new confrontation, which is much more dangerous than during the Cold War.
Russia feels the threat, so naturally it will show off its bayonet. However, in broad daylight, major international incidents involving swords and guns, especially the first time Russia used live ammunition against NATO warships after the Cold War, turned out to be Rashomon.
Is Russia ruthless? Or is the British heart big enough? Anyway, interesting.
(two)
Can not help but remind people of three past events, all maritime incidents.
The first one, also in the Black Sea, which is familiar to many Chinese people, is the story of “I was ordered to hit your ship.”
The time was in 1988, and the Soviet Union had not yet disintegrated.
At that time, the USS Yorktown cruiser and the USS Karon destroyer broke into the Black Sea and declared the so-called right of freedom of navigation. This was strongly protested by the Soviet Navy. After warning to no avail, the two Soviet warships immediately crashed into the US ship!
That time it was not a live ammunition, but a direct impact. Faced with the British ship this time, Russia simply showed live ammunition.
The second case, the Chinese are more familiar with, the “Amethyst Incident”.
It happened on the eve of the People’s Liberation Army crossing the Yangtze River in April 1949.
The British Navy’s Far East Fleet Amethyst frigate, ignoring the PLA’s warnings, broke into the PLA’s front line to cross the river and engaged in artillery battles with the PLA on the grounds of the so-called right of navigation on the Yangtze River. The artillery of the People’s Liberation Army did not have any softness. The intensive artillery fire caused heavy casualties on the Amethyst warship and repelled many British warships trying to rescue.
This incident fully demonstrated the firm determination and courage of the Chinese Communists to defend national sovereignty, and also marked the final end of the “gunboat diplomacy” of the British and other great powers in China. Gone are the days when Western warships travelled freely in and out of the Yangtze River.
The third thing, some people may not be familiar with, the Kerch Strait incident.
It took place in November 2018, on the eve of the G20 summit in Argentina.
At that time, three Ukrainian warships clashed with Russia in the Kerch Strait. The Russian army used force to forcibly detain three ships and more than 20 Ukrainian soldiers. Ukraine immediately declared a state of emergency. Originally, Trump and Putin had agreed to meet during the G20 summit in Argentina, but suddenly such an atmosphere caused Trump to cancel the meeting and let Putin’s pigeons go.
Afterwards, according to some Western media disclosures, it is very likely that this incident was deliberately created by Ukraine, just to sabotage the US-Russia summit and prevent the US-Russia reconciliation from harming its own interests.
Three things in the past, combined with the current Russian live ammunition destroying the British warship, how do you think?
Still the old rules, three superficial views.
1. Britain is Britain.
The country is easy to change, but the nature is hard to change. This was the case 70 years ago and it will still be the same 70 years later. The British always like to be at the forefront of things that the United States is not easy to do. Of course, the British will naturally know the lesson after touching their noses. It is very interesting that the British are also very hard-talking. For example, this time, did you fire a cannonball in Russia? I didn’t see, didn’t hear…
2. The fighting nation is the fighting nation.
The Soviet Union disintegrated, but the Russians are still Russians. It used to be “I was ordered to hit your ship.” Now it’s the first live ammunition after the Cold War. It’s really ruthless. But this is actually setting the rules in a tough stance. You see, after this storm, regardless of how hard-headed the British are, the British warships should not be close to Russia in the short term.
3. What are the hearts of the British?
You know, just after the meeting between Biden and Putin, it is obvious that the United States is trying to win over Russia and even provoke Sino-Russian relations. But international politics is complicated, and Russia knows it well. It was only after Biden returned home that the British warship went to the Black Sea, first signed a military cooperation agreement with Ukraine, and then went directly to the Black Sea with Russia. Britain, what is your heart?
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