The United Kingdom plans to send warships to the Black Sea next month amid mounting tensions between Ukraine and Russia. The Sunday Times reports this on the basis of sources in the British navy.
According to the newspaper, a destroyer armed with anti-aircraft missiles will travel from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea along with an anti-submarine frigate. F-35B fighters and helicopters on the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth are on hand to support the two ships in the Black Sea if needed.
Tensions between Moscow and Kiev have increased recently. Russia has strengthened its military presence on the border with Ukraine, and skirmishes between pro-Russian separatists and the Ukrainian army in eastern Ukraine have already resulted in 26 deaths this year.
Solidarity
With the deployment of the naval ships, London wants to show solidarity with Ukraine and NATO allies, writes the Sunday Times. A spokesman for the British Defense Ministry told the paper that the British government is working closely with Kiev and continues to call for Russia to withdraw its troops.
“The UK and our international allies are firm in our support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” said a Defense Ministry spokesman.
Earlier there had also been talk of two American warships sailing to the Black Sea via the Bosphorus, but President Biden is said to have refrained from escalation. Russia expanded its military presence in the Black Sea this weekend to include two warships and 15 smaller craft.
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