Ukraine and the United State launched joint naval exercises in the Black Sea on Monday in a show of western cooperation with Kiev as it faces off with Russia. The drills come just days after the British navy’s HMS Defender passed near Russian-annexed Crimea in the Black Sea , with Moscow saying it fired warning shots at the destroyer to ward it off.
The Sea Breeze drills- which have taken place 21 times since 1997- will involve some 5,000 military personnel from more than 30 countries.
Ukrainian navy commander Oleksiy Neizhpapa said during an opening ceremony in Odessa that the exercise would send a “powerful message to maintain stability and peace in our region.”
The exercise will last two weeks and involve around 30 ships, including the missile destroyer USS Ross.
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