Russian landing ships opened demonstrative fire in the Black Sea during NATO exercises

Russian warships have conducted training shootings in the Black Sea, the Russian Black Sea Fleet said today, quoted by Reuters. The agency notes that this happened against the background of naval maneuvers in the region of Ukraine and NATO countries.

The Sea Breeze 2021 exercise, commanded by Ukraine and the United States, was preceded by tensions between Moscow and NATO after Russia announced last week that it had fired warning shots and dropped bombs on the course of a British warship to drive it away. territorial waters of the Crimean peninsula. London rejected Moscow’s assessment of the incident and said that the destroyer “Defender” passed peacefully through Ukrainian waters.

Even before the start of this year’s Sea Breeze exercise, Russia called for it to be canceled and said it would defend its national security if necessary.

Today, the command of the Russian Black Sea Fleet told Interfax that two large landing ships had fired at sea and air targets in the Black Sea.

Two days earlier, Russia inspected the readiness of its air defense systems on the Crimean peninsula, which it annexed in 2014.

The two-week Sea Breeze 2021 exercise involves about 5,000 troops and about 30 ships and aircraft, including the US destroyer Ross, armed with missiles, and US Marines.

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