BLACK SEA TURNING INTO “ZONE OF DANGEROUS MILITARY CONFRONTATION”: RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY
The Black Sea is turning into a zone of dangerous military confrontation, Yuri Pilipson, director of the Fourth European Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry, said in an interview with RIA Novosti.
This was the diplomat’s answer to a question of how NATO exercises affect the security situation in the region.
“It is quite obvious that this kind of “training” provokes, and does not prevent, conflict situations,” the diplomat said.
According to him, Russia will continue to take measures to ensure national security with the help of both diplomatic and other instruments.
“We have repeatedly warned that the escalation of military-political tension directly at our borders carries a confrontational charge,” added Pilipson.
From June 28 to July 10, the Sea Breeze 2021 military maneuvers took place in the Black Sea. Up to five thousand servicemen, 40 aircraft and 32 ships from NATO member countries, as well as Ukraine, took part in them. They were watched by the duty forces of the Black Sea Fleet.
Shortly before the start of the exercise, the British destroyer HMS Defender crossed the Russian border near the Crimean Cape Fiolent. The Russian border patrol ship, after repeated warnings, fired warning shots, and the Su-24M fired warning bombings along the Defender’s course.
London argued that the destroyer was not fired upon and that it never entered Russian territorial waters. However, a journalist on board confirmed that the ship had deliberately violated the Russian border.
President Vladimir Putin called this incident a provocation, which was undertaken to show the West’s disrespect for the choice of the Crimeans. According to him, the military development of the territory of Ukraine causes deep concern for Russia – this concerns the real vital interests of the country and the people.
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