Has Russian Ship Confronted Canadian Warship?
NATO disputes Conservative claim that Russians confronted Canadian warship. The parliamentary defence secretary said Russian warships confronted a Canadian frigate in the Black Sea. Nonsense, say NATO officials.
A report in Ottawa Citizen says that the federal government has ratcheted up its war of words over Ukraine, with the parliamentary defence secretary claiming Russian warships confronted a Canadian frigate in the Black Sea. NATO officials, however, say no such thing happened.
Meanwhile, U.S. Rear Admiral Brad Williamson, commander of the maritime group, said at another point two Russian ships were spotted in the distance. The Russians followed all regulations required of vessels in international waters, NATO added.
James Bezan, parliamentary secretary to Minister of National Defence Jason Kenney, told the House of Commons earlier this week, “Since arriving in the Black Sea, Royal Canadian Navy sailors have been confronted by Russian warships and buzzed by Russian fighter jets.”
Kenney also repeated the claim the next day, stating that a Russian jet buzzed the Canadian frigate HMCS Fredericton at low altitude. But NATO officials say the frigate, part of a NATO naval task group, was not buzzed and there was no confrontation.
The Russian vessels could be seen far off on the horizon, kilometres away. Russian aircraft had flown over the task group at high altitudes and at one point a Russian surveillance aircraft got as close as 69 nautical miles (128 kilometres) from the ships, NATO said.
U.S. Rear Admiral Brad Williamson, commander of the maritime group, said at another point two Russian ships were spotted in the distance. The Russians followed all regulations required of vessels in international waters, NATO added.
One of the security challenges for the U.S. is to determine whether the cruise missiles on its bomber aircraft, submarines and warships are indeed conventional or may be nuclear tipped. When carried aboard submarines, ships and in the internal bays of bombers it's nearly impossible for U.S. intelligence to know with certainty.
The concern remains that the Russian deployments of aircraft and ships into Crimea and the Kaliningrad region could give Moscow a platform for the deployment of the weapons that concern the U.S.
