Vladimir Putin Accuses US Of Involvement In UK Warship Incident

Last week, Russia said it fired warning shots to ward off the British navy's HMS Defender as it passed near the Crimean peninsula in the Black Sea in what it said was a violation of its territorial waters.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday accused Washington of involvement in an incident involving a British destroyer off the coast of Moscow-annexed Crimea. Last week, Russia said it fired warning shots to ward off the British navy's HMS Defender as it passed near the Crimean peninsula in the Black Sea in what it said was a violation of its territorial waters. "This, of course, was a provocation -- that is completely obvious," Putin said during his annual televised phone-in. "It was complex and was carried out not only by the British, but also by the Americans."