Moscow-Sana
Russia responded to Ukraine's allegations about its navy's refusal to help a Ukrainian fishing vessel, which sent a distress signal, stressing that it was this ship that refused to accept help from a Russian warship.
And the Russia Today website quoted Alexey Kravchenko, press secretary of the Rossmore Rich Flot Foundation, as saying: “According to our documents, a ship belonging to the Russian Black Sea Fleet recorded a distress signal from a Ukrainian ship and contacted the responsible authority with a proposal to provide assistance, so that the duty employee of the Ukrainian Odessa Rescue Center was then informed. The navy, in turn, confirmed that he had received a distress signal and sent a tow ship to provide assistance, after which the Russian warship was informed of these details and its flight to the scene of the accident was canceled.
Kravchenko added: "No matter what Ukraine says, the truth was as announced by the Russian authorities."
Earlier today, the Russian Defense Ministry's National Defense Center announced that a missile boat from the Black Sea Fleet had been sent to the site of a Ukrainian fishing vessel after its crew requested assistance, while the Ukrainian Defense Ministry claimed that the Russian military did not approach the said fishing vessel and ignored a signal of assistance sent by it.