Russia is prepared to fire upon intruding warships following its challenge to a British warship, a senior Moscow politician warned yesterday.

It comes after a British destroyer sailed near Crimea in an area of the Black Sea that Russia claims as its territorial waters. 

Moscow said one of its warships fired warning shots and a warplane dropped bombs in the path of HMS Defender on Wednesday to drive it away from the area near Sevastopol.

Britain denied Russia’s version of events, saying its ship was not fired upon and saying the vessel was sailing in Ukrainian waters. 

The incident marked the first time since the Cold War that Moscow acknowledged using live ammunition to deter a Nato warship. 

“The inviolability of the Russian borders is an absolute imperative,” Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said yesterday, adding that it will be protected “by all means, diplomatic, political and military if needed”. 

“Those who try to test our strength are taking high risks,” he said. 

Asked what Russia would do to prevent such intrusions in the future, Mr Ryabkov told reporters it would stand ready to fire on targets if warnings don’t work. 

“We may appeal to reason and demand to respect international law,” Mr Ryabkov said. “If it doesn’t help, we may drop bombs and not just in the path but right on target if colleagues don’t get it otherwise.” 

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman deplored what he described as a “deliberate and well-prepared provocation” by Britain and seconded the tough warning. 

“If unacceptable provocative actions are repeated, if those actions go too far, no options to legitimately protect the borders of the Russian Federation could be excluded,” spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. 

On Wednesday, the Russian Defence Ministry said a patrol ship fired warning shots after the HMS Defender had ignored a notice against intrusion.

Moscow alleged the warship sailed 3km into Russia’s territorial waters near Sevastopol, the main Russian naval base in Crimea.

It claimed a Russian Su-24 bomber also dropped four bombs ahead of the vessel to persuade the Defender to change course. Minutes later, the Defender left Russian waters, the ministry said. 

Britain denied HMS Defender had been fired on or that bombs were dropped in its path. It insisted that the ship was making a routine journey through an internationally recognised travel lane and remained in Ukrainian waters.

The UK, like most of the international community, recognises Crimea as part of Ukraine despite the peninsula’s 2014 annexation by Russia. 

“Under international law, you can take the closest, fastest route from one point to another,” British minister George Eustice told Sky News yesterday. “HMS Defender was passing through Ukrainian waters … and that was the logical route for it to take.” 

Russia believes Nato warships visiting near Crimea are destabilising, even though three Nato members – Turkey, Romania and Bulgaria – all have Black Sea coastlines.

In April, Russia declared a broader area off Crimea closed to foreign naval ships until November, a move that drew strong protests from Ukraine and the West. 

The Russian navy chief, Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov, yesterday said the British destroyer’s move was provocative, claiming it ignored the warnings in a bid to test Russia’s resolve. 

“They came to see how we act,” he said. “And they only reacted to the power of weapons. Our navy acted in a competent and safe manner to stop the provocation.” 

A BBC report from the British ship did not show bombs being dropped but showed HMS Defender being buzzed by Russian military aircraft and receiving a threat over the radio to change course or be fired upon. 

Footage filmed from a Russian warplane and a drone showed Russian jets flying close to HMS Defender but did not feature any bombs or warning shots. 

Mikhail Khodaryonok, a retired Russian army colonel, said the Russian warplane apparently dropped bombs kilometres away from the British ship to avoid any damage.

He claimed the British denial that Russia had fired warning shots and dropped bombs to chase the Defender away was an attempt to save face. 

“They couldn’t admit they were forced to change course, that they were aware of a threat that weapons would be used against them,” he said. 

“The former ruler of the seas couldn’t allow for a loss of face by admitting that they submitted to the demands of the Russian side to change course.”