NATO ships are preparing for military exercises in the Black Sea
The NATO Navy, led by the Spanish missile frigate Álvaro de Bazán (F-101), will conduct multinational exercises near the ports of Burgas and Odessa.
This was reported by the Spanish publication ABC.
The ships will take part in naval maneuvers. Later they will visit the Ukrainian city of Odessa.
According to Spanish Navy Captain Manuel Aguirre, who heads NATO's Mediterranean Naval Group, the exercises will help achieve the goals of the Naval Strategy, through a naval presence in NATO's areas of responsibility.
"The Second Permanent Naval Group is one of NATO's four permanent naval groups - two escort ships (SNMGs) and two minesweepers (SNMCMGs) with increased readiness. They are the first element of response at sea to a crisis, ”said Spanish Navy Captain Manuel Aguirre.
Since 30 June, Spain has led NATO's SNMG-2 naval group in the Mediterranean.
The SNMG-2 reportedly plans to take part in several Allied exercises in the Mediterranean and Black Seas.
It is planned that Turkish and Romanian frigates, as well as a French oil tanker will join the Sea Breeze exercises in the Black Sea, and the exercises will be the first event of the SNMG-2 group under Spanish command.
What is known
- As part of tactical flight training, the occupying military, crews of Su-30SM fighters and Su-24M front-line bombers practiced refueling from a tanker in the air over occupied Crimea.
- The commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Serhiy Nayev, said that 32.5 thousand Russian servicemen were currently in occupied Crimea. He also listed military equipment on the peninsula.
- Vadym Skibitsky, a spokesman for Ukraine's Defense Ministry, said that the Russian Caucasus 2020's strategic military exercises would focus on a large number of weapons and military equipment at many training grounds, including in occupied Crimea and in the Southern Military District of the Russian Armed Forces.
- Bilateral battalion tactical training with units of the army corps of the occupying Black Sea Fleet of Russia has begun in Crimea.
- At the Opuk range, the Russian military conducted exercises using missile firing at a naval target.
- On the territory of occupied Crimea, Russia illegally conducted military exercises with the participation of the southern military district and the naval aviation of the Black Sea Fleet.