Russia sends warships to Black Sea for military drills amid rising tensions with Ukraine

Russia on Tuesday informed that six warships from its navy are heading to the Black Sea from the Mediterranean in order to take part in military manoeuvres amid heightened tensions with the West over Moscow’s troop buildup on its border with Ukraine. According to Russia’s Ministry of Defence, the ships of the Baltic Fleet and the Northern Fleet were passing the Bosphorus strait in a “planned manner” to take part in pre-announced military drills in the Black Sea. 

The Russian ships are moving into the area to "work out the actions of the Navy and Aerospace Forces to protect Russian national interests in the world ocean, as well as to counter military threats to the Russian Federation from sea and ocean directions," Russia's Defence Ministry said in a statement. 

Previously, Russia had announced a number of military exercises covering all areas of responsibility for the Russian fleet. Now, the Russian Defence Ministry has said that its massive military drills, which will span multiple waterways around the world, not just in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, will include more than 140 warships and support ships, over 60 aircraft, 1,000 units of unspecified military hardware and about 10,000 troops. 

As per the press note, the Russian landing ships Korolev, Minsk, and Kaliningrad have passed through Dardanelles Strait. The Pyotr Morgunov, Georgy Pobedonosets, and Olenegorsky Gornyak will pass through on Wednesday. 

Ukraine-Russia crisis 

Meanwhile, the military movements come as Moscow has already surrounded Ukraine with more than 100,000 troops, along with military hardware and equipment, stirring fears of an invasion. Even though Russia has denied that the country is planning an invasion, the US and several other EU nations are moving thousands of troops to Eastern Europe in order to defend their allies. 

Now, the US intelligence has indicated that a large-scale invasion by Russia could lead to the deaths of 50,000 civilians and the fall of the government in Kyiv within two days. On the other hand, Moscow called those predictions “scaremongering”. Russia also continues to reiterate that it has no plans to attack any country.

(Image: AP)