A senior Russian military official said today that Russia was ready to strike foreign warships that illegally enter its territorial waters.
According to local media, Stanislav Gadzhimagomedov, deputy chief of staff of the Russian General Staff, told the Russian Federal Council that such a military decision would be taken only at the “highest level”.
The Russian official’s comments came in response to a question about the US submarine that Russia claims violated its borders recently in the Kuriles Islands. “We are always prepared. “However, such decisions are made only by the highest levels of government,” he said.
Yesterday the Russian Defence Ministry announced, that a nuclear submarine of the US Navy violated Russian territorial waters and entered the Kuriles Islands on Saturday at 10.40 am. local time.
According to the Russian government, the move was a “serious violation of international law” with the Russian navy stating that a Russian frigate in the area used the “necessary means” against the US submarine to force it to flee.
