Public misled over Russia clash, says PPU
'Innocent' operation claims challenged
The Peace Pledge Union (PPU) has called on the BBC to publish Ministry of Defence (MoD) documents that were found at a Kent bus stop last month. The pacifist group, which includes many Quaker members, claimed that the fifty pages of classified information ‘make clear that ministers anticipated a clash with Russian forces, contradicting previous claims that a recent trip by HMS Defender through disputed waters was a normal, “innocent” operation’.
Britain was unexpectedly drawn into a diplomatic and military dispute with Russia on 23 June after HMS Defender briefly passed the coast of Crimea.
The PPU accused the British and Russian governments of using the incident to stir up tension and distract public attention from problems at home. It also pointed out that the leaked documents describe an ‘assertive’ response to HMS Defender from the Russians as ‘highly likely’.
According to the BBC, the documents discuss public reaction to the deployment of HMS Defender and state, ‘We have a strong, legitimate narrative’. They note the presence on board of embedded journalists from the BBC and Daily Mail who were expected to back up the Ministry of Defence account.
Symon Hill, campaigns manager of the PPU, said: ‘So far the BBC has only given short quotes from the leaked documents. They are enough to make clear that this was not the routine naval operation that the government claimed but that the MoD expected military tension from the start. Comments about a strong “narrative”, along with the presence of journalists on board, make clear that the MoD, like their Russian counterparts, were prepared to use this as a propaganda exercise.’
An MoD spokesperson said in a statement: ‘As the public would expect, the Ministry of Defence plans carefully. As a matter of routine, that includes analysing all the potential factors affecting operational decisions. HMS Defender conducted innocent passage through Ukrainian territorial waters in accordance with international law.’
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