Moscow will "in the near future" summon the British ambassador to hand over "evidence" of its claim that the U.K. helped orchestrate an attack on the Russian Black Sea Fleet in Crimea, the Foreign Ministry said Wednesday.
Russia has claimed U.K. "specialists" helped Kyiv launch a drone attack on the fleet in Moscow-annexed Crimea at the weekend.
Russia has also accused London of being behind the September explosions on the Nord Stream gas pipelines.
Russian authorities have so far provided no proof to back up their claims.
"The U.K. ambassador will be summoned and will be given the appropriate materials," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said, adding the meeting would take place "in the near future."
"The basic materials will be handed over as evidence to the British side and will also be shown to the general public," she added.
The British Ambassador to Russia is Deborah Bronnert.
Zakharova said Moscow will publish the "materials" after its meeting with the ambassador.
On Saturday, the Russian army said Ukraine had launched the drones on its fleet "under the leadership of British specialists in the city of Ochakiv" in southern Ukraine.
Moscow added that "according to our information" the same British unit had "taken part in the planning" of September explosions on the Nord Stream gas pipelines under the Baltic Sea.
The U.K. says these are "false claims on an epic scale."
Relations between London and Moscow have been deteriorating for years, and Russia considers Britain — a staunch Ukraine backer — to be one of the most hostile Western countries.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
