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The aircraft carrier USS Harry Truman was ordered by the Pentagon to remain in the Mediterranean Sea amid tensions with Russia over the Ukraine crisis. Photo/US Navy
A Pentagon official told The Hill that Austin ordered the USS Harry Truman Carrier Combat Group to remain in European Command’s area of operations.
Also read: Fearing Russian invasion, US spy planes roam the skies of Ukraine
In fact, the combat group is planned to shift to the Central Command area which includes northeastern Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia.
“The move reflects the need for a persistent presence in Europe and is necessary to reassure our allies and partners of our commitment to collective defense,” the Pentagon official said.
The USS Harry Truman Combat Group departed the US on December 1 for a regularly scheduled deployment and has been in the Mediterranean Sea ever since.
The combat group consists of the aircraft carrier USS Harry Truman and five supporting warships, namely the cruiser USS San Jacinto, and the guided-missile destroyers USS Bainbridge, USS Cole, USS Gravely and USS Jason Dunham.
The ships recently completed several tactical operations with the Tunisian Navy.
Austin’s order did not specifically mention Russia or Ukraine. However, it comes after weeks of tension in Eastern Europe with fears of an invasion by Moscow of Kiev.
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