Russia Slams US and NATO's 'Aggressive Military Activity' in Black Sea as Threat to Region
11:52 GMT 13.11.2021 (Updated: 13:26 GMT 06.08.2022)
© Flickr / Official U.S. Navy PageUnited States Navy destroyer USS Ross has entered Black Sea, "to demonstrate the United States’ commitment to strengthening the collective security of NATO allies and partners in the region".
© Flickr / Official U.S. Navy Page
Subscribe
President Putin addressed US activity in the Black Sea earlier in the day, noting that the use of NATO strategic aviation near Russian territory is a serious challenge.
The Russian Aerospace Forces detected four reconnaissance flights near the country's border on Saturday, the Defence Ministry has said.
"Radar systems of the Russian Aerospace Forces and the Black Sea Fleet have detected and accompanied 4 flights by reconnaissance aircraft of NATO countries in the airspace over the Black Sea region over the past 24 hours", the official statement from the MoD read.
Moscow has also slammed the hostile activities of the bloc, stressing they are not contributing to stability in the Black Sea region.
"The entirely unprovoked aggressive military activity of the US and NATO countries in the Black Sea region and involvement of Black Sea states are a threat to regional security and strategic stability", the ministry's press service said in a statement.
© REUTERS / Christian HartmannThe NATO flag is seen through barbed wire as it flies in front of the new NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium May 24, 2017
The NATO flag is seen through barbed wire as it flies in front of the new NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium May 24, 2017
© REUTERS / Christian Hartmann
Those statements come as a response to drills in the Black Sea, held by the US, Turkey, Romania, and Ukraine. The drills occurred amid escalating activity by NATO nations in the Mediterranean and near Russia's borders.
Moscow has repeatedly slammed NATO's activities in the area as a provocation to spur tensions and pursue a policy of containment of Russia.