The Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group Two (SNMCMG2) entered the Black Sea on Tuesday to conduct the first patrol of the year, the alliance said in a press release
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 19th February, 2019) The Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group Two (SNMCMG2) entered the Black Sea on Tuesday to conduct the first patrol of the year, the alliance said in a press release."SNMCMG2 arrived in the Black Sea today after a four day port visit in Istanbul, Turkey to conduct the first NATO Group patrol in the Black Sea of 2019," the release said.
Since the 2014 reunification of Crimea, the release added, NATO has boosted its presence in the Black Sea "to maintain a credible and capable defensive capability."
On Tuesday, the Russian National Defense Control Center said Russian warships are monitoring the actions of the USS Donald Cook destroyer which entered the Black Sea earlier in the day.
Moscow has repeatedly warned that NATO's military buildup on Russia's borders boosts the risks of provoking a military confrontation.
