UK Defense Ministry Denies Leaving Falkland Islands Unprotected

The UK Ministry of Defense spokesperson refuted reports about London allegedly leaving the disputed Falkland Islands unprotected.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The UK Ministry of Defense has dismissed accusations of leaving the disputed Falkland Islands unprotected by having no permanent warship stationed in waters claimed by Argentina, local media said on Saturday.

"The Falklands remain well protected via the patrol warship HMS Clyde, a Royal Fleet Auxiliary support ship and around 1,200 UK personnel operating RAF Typhoons and ground defences," a ministry spokesperson said, as quoted by The Guardian newspaper.

On Friday, UK media reported that personnel shortages, technical issues and the need to monitor Russian Navy ship movements in the northern hemisphere have caused the Falklands to be left unprotected since November, 2015. UK Prime Minister David Cameron's government has also reportedly been criticized by opposition over defense budget cuts leaving the islands without protection.

The Defense Ministry stated that the HMS Dauntless Type 45 Daring-class air-defense destroyer had not been scrapped and remained part of the fleet, despite earlier reports of the vessel being designated as a training ship to be confined to a port.

On Monday, Argentinian Foreign Relations Minister Susana Malcorra said the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) had ruled in favor of Argentina expanding the country's maritime territories to include the waters encompassing the Falklands.

On Tuesday, a CLCS member told Sputnik that the CLCS ruling on Argentina's expansion of its maritime territories would be published in a few weeks.

Argentina claims that it has inherited the Falkland Islands, located about 300 miles off the country's east coast, after the country and the outlying territories had gained independence from Spain. London considers the Falklands to be its territory.