Russia launches Mediterranean drills amid rift with UK

The drills come days after Moscow claimed it fired warning shots at a British warship on the Black Sea.

The Russian military has launched sweeping manoeuvres in the Mediterranean Sea featuring warplanes capable of carrying hypersonic missiles, a show of force amid a surge in tensions following an incident with a British destroyer in the Black Sea. Moscow said one of its warships fired warning shots and a warplane dropped bombs in the path of British destroyer Defender on Wednesday to force it out of an area near Crimea that Russia claims as its territorial waters. Britain denied that account, insisting its ship was not fired upon and said it was sailing in Ukrainian waters. The Russian drills that began on Friday in the Eastern Mediterranean come as a British carrier strike group is in the area.