Ukraine and US begin large-scale naval drills in Black Sea

Kiev — An international naval exercise in the Black Sea co-hosted by the United States and Ukraine began on Monday in the southern Ukrainian port city of Odessa, despite criticism from Russia.

Over the next two weeks, soldiers and sailors from Ukraine, the US and nearly 30 other countries will participate in the annual Sea Breeze naval manoeuvre in the north-western area of the Black Sea.

The Ukrainian Navy released a video

of the opening of the exercises, which have taken place regularly since 1997.

According to the US, about 5,000 soldiers, 30 ships and 40 aircraft and helicopters were taking part in the drills to test landing operations and air defences.

Russia had called on the US to forgo the large-scale manoeuvre.

Tensions have increased in the contested waters around Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula, which was annexed by Russia in 2014. The move was not recognized by Western countries.

Last week, Russia said a British warship sailed into its territorial waters in the Black Sea and was chased away with warning shots. London disputes this, saying the ship was in Ukraine’s waters and that warnings shots were never fired by the Russian military.

The leadership in Moscow has ordered larger sections around Crimea to be closed to military vessels from other states until October.

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