The Black Sea incident makes it clear that tension with Russia is never far from the surface

Editorial: Diplomatic spats will happen – but care has to be taken to avoid escalation

‘HMS Defender’ at sea (EPA)

Britannia may be in no fit state to rule the waves these days, but she is certainly still capable of winding up the Russians.

HMS Defender has been sailing around the Black Sea, including a stop-off at Odessa. She has also been caught up in a bizarre but fiery exchange between the Kremlin and London.

In the Russian version of events, the warship was proceeding close to the southern coast of Crimea – territory annexed by Moscow seven years ago in a move condemned by the west – and was subjected to warning shots fired by Russia; in the British version, the incident involved a “routine transit from Odessa towards Georgia across the Black Sea” using an “internationally recognised traffic separation corridor”, when the vessel encountered pre-planned Russian military exercises in the vicinity.