YDS 2021 in Review

US initially moved to dispatch two warships to the Black Sea in response, but
canceled its plans on 15 April. Instead, Washington imposed additional sanctions on
Russia and expelled ten Russian diplomats, ostensibly for election hacking. Shortly
thereafter, Moscow used its leverage over eastern Ukraine by partially closing the
Kerch Strait for six months, hampering Kyiv's ability to conduct maritime trade.
A cordial meeting between the American and Russian leaders on 16 June did little to
resolve the deadlock. Subsequently, following the signing of a new UK-Ukraine naval
agreement in Odessa on 24 June, the HMS Defender ventured into disputed waters
off the coast of Crimea. Classified British Defence Ministry documents discovered at
a bus stop in Kent revealed that the manoeuvre was intended as a show of support
to Kyiv.
What happened next is a matter of controversy. According to Moscow, the HMS
Defender sailed within three kilometres of the Crimean coastline. Russian border
guards then fired warning shots at the vessel before a fighter jet dropped bombs
along the ship's path. London disputed this version of events, claiming the ship was
still in Ukrainian waters, and contended that the shots fired did not constitute
warning shots because they took place three miles astern of the boat. In either case,
the incident served to further inflame tensions, with Russia's Deputy Foreign
Minister threatening that the bombs would be "on target" next time.
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