Classified documents from Britain's defense ministry containing details about a British warship and Russia's potential reaction to its passage through the Black Sea have been found at a bus stop in south England, the BBC reported on Sunday.
The BBC said the documents, almost 50 pages in all, were found "in a soggy heap behind a bus stop in Kent early on Tuesday morning" by a member of the public.
The Ministry of Defense said it had been informed of "an incident in which sensitive defense papers were recovered by a member of the public."
"The department takes the security of information extremely seriously and an investigation has been launched. The employee concerned reported the loss at the time. It would be inappropriate to comment further," a spokesperson said.
Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova mocked the British government on social media channel Telegram, saying, "London has used a number of lies to cover up the latest provocation. 007 (James Bond) is no longer the same. And now a riddle-like question for the British parliament, why do we need 'Russian hackers' if there are British bus stops?"
Britain's main opposition Labor Party said the discovery of the documents was "as embarrassing as it is worrying for ministers."
Labor's defense policy chief John Healey said ministers needed to confirm that national security had not been undermined or security operations affected and that "procedures are in place to ensure nothing like this happens again."
The BBC reported that the documents, which included e-mails and PowerPoint presentations, related to the British warship Defender, which this month sailed through waters off the Crimean peninsula.
The documents appear to show that the British officials knew the route could lead to a possible reaction from the Russians, but that taking an alternative passage could be considered by Moscow as "the UK being scared/running away."
Russia said last week that it had fired warning shots and dropped bombs in the path of the ship to chase it out of what the Kremlin says are its territorial waters.