Russia holds military drills in Black Sea amid tensions with Ukraine
(Baonghean.vn) - On December 5, Russia conducted naval and air-to-surface missile exercises in the Black Sea region, amid tensions with Ukraine and the West, related to Moscow's capture of three Ukrainian naval vessels and sailors off the coast of the Crimean peninsula last month.
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| Russia conducts military exercises in the Black Sea amid tensions with Ukraine. Photo: AP |
The Russian Defense Ministry announced that two submarines, Rostov-on-Don B-237 and Stary Oskol B-262, carried out urgent tasks to detect, escort and destroy sea and coastal targets by firing rockets.
Submarine crews from the Black Sea Fleet will also perform deep dives and technical maneuvers such as emergency surfacing.
Meanwhile, Interfax news agency quoted a representative of the Black Sea fleet as saying that the Pantsir medium-range surface-to-air missile system in the eastern part of the Crimean peninsula detected, identified and shot down aerial targets.
The exercise comes at a time of heightened tensions between Russia and the West over Moscow's seizure of two small artillery ships and a tugboat and their Ukrainian sailors on November 25.
NATO foreign ministers discussed the Black Sea region with their Ukrainian and Georgian counterparts on December 4, while NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stressed that the US-led military alliance has increased its presence in the region to counter what he said was Russia's aggressive activities./.
