Moscow Denies its Aircraft ‘Approached’ Canadian Warship

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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The Russian defence ministry has clearly mentioned in a statement issued on Tuesday that its planes did not approach a Canadian frigate on a NATO mission in the Black Sea in an incident that is denounced by Ottawa as “unnecessarily provocative.” According to the Russian authorities, a Sukhoi Su-24 attack aircraft and an Antonov An-26 transport plane were carrying out “planned flights over neutral waters of the Black Sea near the Russian Federation’s state border”.

According to a statement issued by Major General Konashenkov, “the flightpath of the planes of the Russian airforce ran through an area where the HMCS Toronto was located, without approaching the foreign military vessel.” Whereas on the other hand, Canadian Defence Minister Rob Nicholson stated earlier on Tuesday that the Russian military plane circled over the HMCS Toronto, i.e. a Canadian frigate in the Black Sea, where NATO and Ukraine are holding naval exercises. It was alleged that the Russian aircraft “did not in any way pose a threat to the Canadian ship,” but “their actions were unnecessarily provocative and risk escalating tensions even further” in the region.

The HMCS Toronto had departed from Canada’s Atlantic coast at the end of July with 250 sailors and Sea King helicopters on board to join the NATO mission. Russia and the West are at toes in an intense standoff over a crisis in Ukraine where Kremlin-backed separatists are battling against pro-Western Kiev authorities. Ukraine had announced on Monday that it is launching a three-day naval exercises with US-led NATO forces in the Black Sea aimed at guaranteeing its security.