UK says warship was on routine journey, was made aware of Russian drill

FILE PHOTO: Britain's Defence Secretary Ben Wallace arrives in Downing Street to attend a cabinet meeting at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in London, Britain, November 3, 2020. REUTERS/Toby Melville

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's HMS Defender was travelling on an internationally recognised route from Odessa, Ukraine, to Georgia, British defence minister Ben Wallace said on Wednesday after conflicting reports that warning shots were fired from a Russian vessel.

"This morning, HMS Defender carried out a routine transit from Odesa towards Georgia across the Black Sea," Wallace said in a statement.