Secret UK Defense Department documents examining Russia’s possible reaction to a British destroyer leaving Crimea were discovered this week at a bus stop in England, the BBC reported today.
A citizen who found documents, about 50 pages of confidential material, including emails and PowerPoint presentations, in Kent, South East England, contacted a public broadcaster and chose to remain anonymous.
A Defense Department spokesman said one of his employees had previously reported the loss of documents and found it “inappropriate” to comment further on the matter.
Among the information contained in the documents are details of the passage of the British destroyer HMS Defender through the waters off the Crimean peninsula, which this week has caused tensions between London and Moscow.
The Russian navy claims to have fired warning shots after the British ship did not respond to calls for retreat.
The UK denied this version and said that its ship “made a peaceful passage through Ukrainian territorial waters in accordance with international law” and did not hear any warning shots.
However, from the documents that have appeared, it follows that London already expected that Russia would react aggressively to the invasion of the destroyer.
The operation, dubbed “Op Ditroite,” was launched last Monday by senior Defense Ministry officials who were expecting a “welcome party” from Russian troops.
“After the transition from defense to operational activities, it is very likely that interaction with the RFN (Navy) and the Aerospace Forces (Air Force) will become more frequent and persistent,” warns one of the documents.
The documents found at the bus stop also relate to military plans in Afghanistan, some of which the BBC has not released to protect British personnel in that country.
Among other things, the documents analyze the possibility of maintaining the British military presence in Afghanistan after the completion of the NATO mission under the leadership of the United States.
