More than 20 Russian aircraft and two coastguard ships have shadowed a British warship sailing near Crimea.

Moscow’s defence ministry said a patrol ship fired warning shots and a jet dropped bombs in the path of HMS Defender as it sailed some 12 miles (19km) off Crimea’s coast.

The UK government rejected Russia’s account of the incident and denied that any warning shots had been fired.

A BBC correspondent on the warship said it was harassed by Russia’s military.

Aircraft could be heard overhead as BBC defence correspondent Jonathan Beale filed a report from the deck of HMS Defender in the Black Sea as it sailed to Georgia. He described hostile warnings over the radio as the warship’s crew prepared for a possible confrontation.