‘Provocative’ Russian warship traverses Bosphorus again

ISTANBUL

A Russian warship, the Caesar Kunikov, which heightened tensions between Turkey and Russia after its “provocative” passage through Istanbul’s Bosphorus late last year, has returned to the strait once again, this time amid tight security measures.

The ship entered the Bosphorus at 7 a.m. from the Black Sea and completed traversing the strait by 8 a.m. on March 4. It was accompanied by Turkish Coast Guard boats and a helicopter throughout the passage. 

The Caesar Kunikov’s previous passage through the Bosphorus en route to the Mediterranean on Dec. 6, 2015, had drawn angry reaction, as one soldier on board was seen holding a ground-to-air missile.

“This is provocation. This is a harassing passage,” Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu had said.