The Russian Embassy in Dublin has urged fishermen in the southwest to "refrain from any provocative actions" ahead of planned exercises by the Russian Navy off the Irish coast.
Representatives from the Irish South and West Fish Producers Association (ISWFPA) met with Russian Ambassador to Ireland Yury Filatov yesterday to raise concerns about the potential curtailment or wiping out of catches due to the drills which are due to take place over five days next week, 260km off the coast.
Up to 60 Irish fishing vessels are planning to fish in the area close to where the Russian military exercises are going to be held.
After their meeting, the fishermen said both sides agreed a "buffer zone" would be respected in the traditional fishing waters adjoining Ireland's exclusive economic zone, where the naval drills are due to take place.
But this morning the Russian Embassy said there had been no such agreement.
A spokesperson said: "After the meeting that happened yesterday between the Ambassador and the representatives of the Irish South and West Fish Producers Organisation there were reports that there has been some kind of 'agreement' on some kind of 'buffer zones' in the area of the upcoming naval drills of the Russian Navy in the Atlantic, which is not true.
"The Ambassador has listened carefully to the concerns that the Irish fishermen expressed and explained to them that these drills will not do any harm to their interests.
"He also urged them to refrain from any provocative actions which might endanger all involved.
"All in all the meeting was good, productive and led to a better understanding of the whole situation by both sides."
'We are not protesting, we are going to go fishing'
ISWFPA Chief Executive Patrick Murphy said fishermen are going ahead with their plans to fish next week.
Mr Murphy told RTÉ's Today with Claire Byrne: "We are not protesting, we are going to go fishing.
"If that happens to end up in a protest, and someone says you are here, we are coming into the area, get out of the way, we have explained this to the ambassador and he has accepted this.
"We have both come to a cordial agreement that is not going to happen."
Mr Murphy added that he accepts that the Russian Ambassador could not give guarantees or create buffer zones and admitted that fishing representatives may have overstepped the mark with some of the language used yesterday about the guarantees that were given.
He blamed it on possible "miscommunication".
He also said the ambassador is "the eyes, ears and person who carries the message back" and is not in charge.
He said Mr Filatov made it clear to them that he would have to take their concerns to Moscow.
Mr Murphy added that there are Irish boats already out in the waters near where the Russian drills are due to take place and it is open to Irish fishing vessels from 1 February.
The exercises have been criticised by the Government, which has said they are not welcome.
Fianna Fáil TD Paul McAuliffe said he respects the fishermen for what they are doing.
Speaking on RTÉ's Today with Claire Byrne, he said that while the area is "not our territorial waters" it is the fishermen’s "exclusive economic area" and it is where they fish.
"I think they’ve a right to go out there and I think they’re making a point," he said, adding that he thinks they intend to protest in a way that is safe.
Speaking on the same programme, Sinn Féin TD Rose Conway-Walsh said she "absolutely" has respect for the fishermen but that needs to be backed up by the Government as well.
"We have a role on the UN Security Council, that needs to be used, we need to do everything we possibly can to de-escalate the situation," she said.
Mr Filatov has been invited to attend an Oireachtas committee hearing next week to discuss the tensions on the Ukrainian border and the planned Russian naval exercises.
Chair of the Oireachtas Foreign Affairs Committee Charlie Flanagan confirmed he had extended the invitation to the Russian Embassy.
Speaking on RTÉ's Drivetime yesterday, Mr Flanagan said he would tell the ambassador that the planned military exercises should be scrapped.
