Royal Navy joins huge Black Sea exercise that angers Russia
ByMax Channon
13:41, 4 JUL 2019Updated13:58, 4 JUL 2019
The Royal Navy has joined a huge military exercise in the Black Sea that is reportedly angering Russia.
Approximately 3,000 troops from 19 countries - including the the US and the Ukraine and a dozen other NATO allies - are taking part in the 12-day Sea Breeze 2019 exercise, which began in the northwestern part of the Black Sea on Monday.
A total of 32 warships and 24 aircraft will take part in the show of strength - with HMS Duncan sailing into the Black Sea alongside HMCS Toronto of the Royal Canadian Navy, whose Commodore Josée Kurtz is currently in command of Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2). They were joined by the Turkish frigate TCG Turgutreis and Romanian frigate ROS Regele Ferdinand.
The Russian military says it is monitoring the exercise and has voiced concern about previous NATO drills near its borders, saying they threaten its security, reports US website Navy Times.
https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/uk-world-news/royal-navy-joins-huge-black-3053768
