Sukhoi Fighter Jets Vs Frigates In The Black Sea: Russia Claims To Guard The Border, The Netherlands Feels Disturbed

Dutch battleship HNLMS Evertsen (F805) (Wikimedia Commons/Mark Harkin)

JAKARTA - Russia's Defense Ministry said it had deployed fighter planes and bombers to prevent border violations, after a foreign frigate moved into the Kerch Strait.

Meanwhile, the Dutch Ministry said Russian warplanes had taken unsafe actions against the HNLMS The Evertsen (F805) frigate that was sailing in the Black Sea.

This incident occurred just a day, after the British warship HMS Defender was involved in an incident with a Russian warplane, after being judged to have entered the territory of the Red Bear Country.

"On June 24, 2021, the means belonging to the Black Sea Fleet to monitor the movement of NATO ships in the Black Sea, detected the Dutch frigate The Evertsen changing direction in international waters and starting to move towards the Kerch Strait," the Russian Ministry of Defense said in a statement. June.

"To prevent violations of Russian territorial waters, Sukhoi Su-30 fighter planes and Sukhoi Su-24 bombers were deployed to the location to approach Dutch Navy ships at a safe distance," the Ministry of Defense continued.

The planes strictly follow international rules, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

"All flights by Russian aircraft are carried out in accordance with international rules using airspace," the statement continued, noting that all aircraft returned to base, having fulfilled their duties and the Dutch frigate returned to the international Black Sea route.

Separately, the Dutch Ministry of Defense said the Russian warplanes flew very close, making the situation unsafe by saying the planes were equipped with bombs and missiles, and jamming their frigate's electronic and communications devices.

Dutch warship HNLMS Evertsen (F805). (Wikimedia Commons/Ein Dahmer)

The Dutch Ministry of Defense said Russia's actions took place over a span of five hours on June 24, violating the right to use the sea freely.

The Netherlands said the Frigate Evertsen was sailing with the British Carrier Attack Group, which was on patrol in the Black Sea area at the time. Defense Minister Ank Bijleveld-Schouten called Russia's actions "irresponsible".

"Evertsen has the right to sail there. There is no justification for this kind of aggressive behavior, which unnecessarily increases the likelihood of an accident," he criticized.

In the wake of this incident, Minister Ank Bijleveld indicated the Netherlands would raise the issue with Russia at a diplomatic level.