The Ukrainian port city of Odessa hosted the opening ceremony of the active phase of the annual naval drill Sea Breeze,
which involves 25 ships from Ukraine, Moldova and 14 NATO members. The
exercise was launched on Monday and will last till August 1
Black Sea Breeze: 1,700 personnel, 25 vessels take part in NATO naval drills
The active stage of the Breeze 2016 international naval exercise
has been launched on the Black Sea on Monday. Aimed at improving
coordination in crisis response and training of NATO-led naval
operations, the drills will last till July 17.
Held every year, the
drills officially began on Friday in Bulgaria’s territorial waters and
exclusive economic zone, and on the coast off Burgas.
As many as
25 military vessels, two planes, two helicopters and some 1,700
personnel are taking part in the exercise conducted in the international
waters, reports Sofia New Agency.
https://youtu.be/di2H8UNxtak
All
NATO member states of the Black Sea region, namely Bulgaria, Romania
and Turkey, are taking part in the drills, also attended by warships
from Greece and Spain. The exercise also involves NATO associates
Ukraine and Georgia.
Bucharest has deployed to the exercise its
frigate Regina Maria, missile corvette Lastunul and marine dredger
Sublocotenent Alexandru Axente, the Romania Journal reports.
Following
the historic referendum in Crimea in March 2014, in which the peninsula
opted to reunite with Russia, NATO member states in the region have
been scaremongering that the Black Sea is turning into a “Russian lake."
Since
the spring of 2014, NATO warships, including missile cruisers from the
US and other allied nations, have been patrolling the Black Sea on a
rotational basis, never leaving the area unattended. The increased
presence of NATO naval force near Russian shores has not once led to
incidents involving American warships and Russian military aircraft.
The
creation of a NATO Black Sea flotilla was proposed by Romania in
January, and immediately backed by Turkey, another member country, which
at the time had tense relations with Moscow.
Ukraine, which is
not a NATO member, has also expressed its readiness to join the force,
even though it only has one combat-worthy warship at the moment.
Bulgaria opposed the proposal, citing concerns over further
militarization. RTΕπαληθευμένος λογαριασμός@RT_com
‘I don’t need war’: Bulgarian PM doesn’t want #NATO Black Sea flotilla in his backyard http://on.rt.com/7ftb