As Western nations warned that a conflict in Ukraine may erupt at any time, more than 30 ships from Russia’s Black Sea fleet began training maneuvers near the Crimea peninsula as part of broader navy drills, according to RIA news agency, citing the fleet.
Russia’s military activities are being closely monitored, as the country’s massing of soldiers near Ukraine and a barrage of belligerent rhetoric have alarmed the West and raised fears of an invasion. Moscow rejects any intention of invading, claiming that it is defending itself against NATO partners.
More than 30 Russian ships have left the ports of Sevastopol and Novorossiisk “in accordance with the drills’ plans,” according to RIA. Russia took Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.
According to RIA, the drills were held to protect the Crimean shoreline, the Black Sea fleet’s outposts, the economy, and naval communications.
Russia’s navy stated last month that it would conduct a series of drills involving all of its fleets from the Pacific to the Atlantic this month and next, the latest show of might in a spike of military activity during the standoff with the West.
