Today at 22:42
Five ships from NATO countries entered the Ukrainian port of Odesa.
Two destroyers and three frigates are taking part in the Sea Breeze 2019 multinational military exercises. The script that the military will execute on land is kept secret. Participants will learn the details in the course of the exercises while at sea.
“During familiarization with the scenario for the exercises, the group conducted a series of training sessions on tactical maneuvering in formations, conducting embargo and inspection operations, training the survivability of the ships, as well as live firing,” captain II rank, participant of Sea Breeze 2019, Pavlo Rud said.
The flagship of the Ukrainian Navy, the frigate Hetman Sahaidachnyi, also joined the flotilla from Great Britain, Canada, Turkey, Romania, and the United States. The crew on board is a special compliment, including students.
“Five cadets of the Ukrainian Naval Forces are undergoing military practicum on the ship. The conditions are ideal: they can see how the ship works at sea, how calculations happen, and how the ship interacts with other vessels in the tactical group,” Rud said.
The maneuvers are being observed by representatives of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. Ships of the Russian Federation are also conducting combat training exercises on the Black Sea.
As stated by the press service of the Russian Ministry of Defense: about 10 ships of the fleet are involved. They are working on elements of joint navigation and combat maneuvering and conducting rocket and artillery practice at sea and air targets. But the Russian military is watching the American destroyer, the USS Carney, especially closely.
“The key thing is that we’ve accomplished all of our training objectives for the first phase,” captain I rank, U.S. Exercises Commander, Matthew Leman said.
There are anti-ship missiles, anti-submarine torpedoes, an anti-aircraft missile system, and even a transport helicopter on board. At this stage, 27 military ships from 19 countries are participating. The active phase is scheduled for July 9th to 11th. It will involve several groups of ships: frigates, patrols, and amphibious forces. Sea Breeze 2019 is taking place until July 12th.
