© Associated Press
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Ukraine and the United States are launching an exercise that will include representatives of more than 30 other countries, despite calls for Russia to cancel it, Reuters reports.
The Sea Breeze exercise of 2021 follows last week’s incident when the British destroyer HMS Defender passed near the annexed in 2014 Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea. According to the Russian authorities, the warship entered their waters, so warning shots were fired at it. Britain, for which the waters in question are Ukrainian, denies.
Yesterday the BBC announcedthat documents related to the incident were found at a bus stop in Kent, and the Ministry of Defense announced that it had been informed of the loss of “delicate” materials returned by a citizen, without specifying. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova used the occasion to mock the British government in the Telegram, saying: “London is using many lies to cover up its latest provocation. 007 (James Bond) is no longer the same … What are “Russian hackers” for if we have British bus stops? “
This is the largest Sea Breeze exercise, in which, in addition to NATO countries (ie Bulgaria), four Arab countries participate – Morocco, Tunisia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt. Non-NATO participants include Israel, Brazil, Pakistan, Australia, Japan, Sweden, Senegal and South Korea.
Moscow said last week that if the exercise did take place, it would act in accordance with the needs to protect its national security. In addition, such maneuvers increase the risk of accidents, especially because of the number of participants this year, the Russian embassy said.
According to Kiev, the goal is to prepare for international peacekeeping operations and those related to defense and security. Exercises with a maritime, land and air component are organized each year to improve interoperability between Black Sea partners.
More than 5,000 troops from NATO countries and their partners will be part of the exercise, along with 30 warships and 40 aircraft, the agency continued. Among them is the USS Ross guided missile destroyer, which has participated in previous See Breeze exercises in solidarity with partners and Ukraine.
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