The Kremlin said that “provocations” such as the British warship incident require a strong response to Reuters

MOSCOW (Reuters)-The Kremlin said on Sunday that the entry of a British warship into Russian territorial waters near Crimea that Moscow considered last month was a provocation and requires a strong response.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Russia fired warnings and dropped bombs on the warship in the Black Sea off the coast of Crimea, possibly sinking the warship.

Moscow challenged HMS Defender’s right to cross the waters near Crimea, and London said it has every right to do so. Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, but most countries in the world still recognize it as part of Ukraine.

Peskov said in a speech on state television on Sunday that the incident was a “carefully planned provocation” and Putin’s response has made it clear that any repetition will cause repercussions.

“Obviously, the reaction will of course be difficult,” Peskov said.

He responded to Putin’s allegations that Washington and London jointly planned the episode.

“I think our intelligence agency certainly knows who made this decision. But, of course, I think the nature of this type of operation was planned by all the same senior comrades-those on the other side of the ocean,” Peskov Say.

As Ukraine and NATO countries conduct military exercises in the Black Sea under the surveillance of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, tensions have increased.

Peskov said that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization is a destabilizing factor that leads to confrontation, but Russia is still willing to engage in dialogue with the organization.