A day after NATO and Ukraine began Black Sea military exercises, Moscow announces it has tested Crimean air defence systems.

Russia has reportedly tested the readiness of its air defence systems in Crimea, an apparent show of force as Ukraine and NATO countries hold military drills in the Black Sea as part of their Sea Breeze 2021 exercise.

Russia deployed about 20 warplanes and helicopters, including Su-24M bombers, as well as S-400 and Pantsir surface-to-air missile systems in the tests, Interfax reported on Tuesday, citing Russia’s Black Sea fleet.

It was not clear when the tests took place.

“The Black Sea Fleet is doing a number of things to monitor the actions of ships from NATO and other countries taking part in Sea Breeze 2021,” the National Defence Management Centre said in a statement.

Russia had called for the military exercises, which have taken place 21 times since 1997, to be cancelled and the Russian defence ministry has said it will react if necessary to ensure national security.

Sea Breeze 2021, which began on Monday, will last two weeks and involve about 5,000 military personnel from NATO member states and other allies of the transatlantic security alliance.

The United States Marine Corps will take part, as will about 30 US ships and 40 aircraft, including the missile destroyer USS Ross.

Ukrainian navy commander Oleksiy Neizhpapa said during an opening ceremony in the Ukrainian port city of Odessa that the exercises would send a “powerful message to maintain stability and peace in our region.”

Ukraine is an ally of NATO, but not a member.

Moscow warns US, UK against ‘tempting fate’

Russia on Monday denounced “the scale and aggressiveness” of the drills which “hardly contribute to security in the Black Sea region”.

The military exercises and Russian tests come amid soaring tensions between Moscow and Western powers.

The situation deteriorated further last week over a disputed Black Sea incident on June 23 between Russia and the United Kingdom.

Moscow said it had fired warning shots and dropped bombs in the path of a British warship, HMS Defender, to chase it out of Black Sea waters off the coast of Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014.

Moscow considers Crimea Russian territory, but the peninsula is internationally recognised as part of Ukraine which wants it back.

The UK rejected Russia’s account of the incident, and has claimed its Royal Navy destroyer was making a routine journey through an internationally recognised travel lane and had remained in Ukrainian waters near Crimea.

Any shots fired were a preannounced Russian “gunnery exercise”, and no bombs were dropped, the UK said.

Later, Moscow warned NATO members the UK and the US against “tempting fate” by sending warships to the Black Sea, and said it would defend its borders using all possible means including military force.

The latest frictions add to a list of disputes between Moscow and Western powers.

The two sides are divided on a range of issues, including the situation in Ukraine, where government forces have battled Russian-backed separatists in the country’s war-torn east since 2014, Belarus, human rights, arms control, election interference, cyber-hacking and the role played by NATO in European affairs.

Jashub:
Where is the clown that was saying there's no S400...mtche

emae009:
Ukraine should just become a member of NATO and all these aggressive behavior will cease to exist.
Ukraine with a US-led NATO military base.

Russia would never want to see that happen though

dermmy:


NATO is not ready to take Ukraine into the fold.

emae009:
Ukraine should just become a member of NATO and all these aggressive behavior will cease to exist.
Ukraine with a US-led NATO military base.

Russia would never want to see that happen though

seunny4lif:
If Ukraine enter NATO then Ukraine will lose all the eastern Ukraine because they are Russians and 70% of them already own Russia passport.
Germany, France and Italy are kicking against Ukraine joining NATO because they know better.
So, you think if Ukraine attack Eastern Ukraine, Russia will be watching? If Ukraine and Georgia don’t fit their border problems, they can’t join NATO or EU, that’s the rule.
If Ukraine try nonsense just like Georgia tried it with Russia and They will lose even more land to Russia.

dermmy:


Thank you. @ the bolded

At the outset NATO countries in western Europe kicked against the idea of admitting former eastern bloc countries into NATO but uncle Sam wouldn't listen. France, Britain, and Germany reluctantly acquiesced to the inclusion of Baltic states into NATO in 2004. During the last NATO summit Jens Stoltenberg still stressed the strain of bringing in countries that are insignificant to NATO's established aims.

emae009:


They will gladly do but there are some specific requirements, socioeconomic, political and some other redundancies that you have to meet to be accepted

seunny4lif:
If Ukraine enter NATO then Ukraine will lose all the eastern Ukraine because they are Russians and 70% of them already own Russia passport.
Germany, France and Italy are kicking against Ukraine joining NATO because they know better.
So, you think if Ukraine attack Eastern Ukraine, Russia will be watching? If Ukraine and Georgia don’t fit their border problems, they can’t join NATO or EU, that’s the rule.
If Ukraine try nonsense just like Georgia tried it with Russia and They will lose even more land to Russia.

seunny4lif:
Uncle Sam wants Ukraine Crimea not Ukraine but Russia was too smart and they took it.

emae009:


your hypothetical scenarios is hysterical. Why would Ukraine attack itself? when they are fighting to get Crimea back.
You do not there a big difference between being a NATO member and being a NATO ally right.

emae009:


There you go with the anti-American scenario. dude you funny, in your mind, the US wants the whole world even Africa. They want to invade Russia, China and all others right.
Do you even know where Crimea is?
No "Superpower" would accept a rival that close to its border.
Talk about US wanted Crimea not Ukraine and Russia was smart enough to take it. Thanks for the comedy. The way you twist events is high commended

Jashub:
Where is the clown that was saying there's no S400...mtche