The Argentine Foreign Ministry has filed a formal complaint against the United Kingdom after a British warship which patrols the Malvinas Islands was detected navigating Argentine waters without first notifying local authorities.

The UK government has rejected the accusations, saying they informed Argentine authorities of the trip.

The HMS Medway sailed through Argentine waters in early July. After rounding the southern tip of South America, it docked in Punta Arenas, Chile, on July 5 for resupply operations, after which news of the voyage emerged in Argentina.

The HMS Medway is the Royal Navy’s permanent patrol vessel assigned to the waters surrounding the Malvinas Islands.

Argentina filed its complaint on July 5 with the British Embassy in Buenos Aires, although the Foreign Ministry did not make it public until Wednesday night, 10 days later. 

The announcement came in the aftermath of the 2026 World Cup semifinal between Argentina and England, although the ministry’s statement made no reference to the match. After the game, the Argentine players, who have moved on to the final, held a banner saying “The Malvinas are Argentine.”

In the statement, the ministry said the warship........

© Buenos Aires Herald