Military activity by the United States and its allies near Russia's borders in the Black Sea region has increased, the Russian Defense Ministry said Thursday.
"The Russian Defense Ministry records an increase in the military activity of the United States and its NATO allies in the Black Sea region," the military department said, noting that the intensity of naval forces, air and sea reconnaissance assets, as well as strategic aviation, has primarily increased.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the unscheduled exercises of the United States and its allies in the Black Sea near Russia's borders are aggressive actions that pose a threat to regional security. "Conducting this unscheduled exercise near our borders is completely unprovoked by Russia aggressive actions of the United States, which create a threat to regional security and strategic stability," the ministry stressed.
For example, during the last day four NATO reconnaissance airplanes were detected and escorted by radar means of anti-aircraft missile forces of the Russian Airborne Forces. The Defense Ministry specified that over the northwest and central parts of the Black Sea the Russian control means detected aircrafts U-2S, RC-135 and two basic patrol aircrafts P-8A Poseidon.
A Russian Air Force Su-30 fighter jet was in the air to monitor the actions of the RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft in the area of the southwestern part of the Crimean peninsula. After the Russian fighter jet approached, the British plane changed its course away from the Russian border.
The Russian missile cruiser Moskva and the frigate Admiral Essen monitor the actions of the US Navy in the Black Sea. The Russian Defense Ministry stresses that it "considers the military activity of the US and its allies in the Black Sea region as a study of the anticipated theater of military operations in case Ukraine prepares a forceful solution to the conflict in the southeast." Now the destroyer Porter and the staff ship Mount Whitney continue to move into the western part of the Black Sea.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Zuma \ TASS
Based on materials from TASS