NATO Warships Call On Ukraine's Odessa During Sea Breeze Exercise

KIEV (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 25th July, 2020) Several NATO warships called on Ukraine's Black Sea port of Odessa on Saturday during an annual naval exercise Sea Breeze, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said.

"Among the visiting foreign ships were Spanish Royal Navy frigate Alvaro de Bazan, Romanian frigate Regina Maria and Turkish frigate Yildirim," a statement read.

A local online newspaper, Dumskaya, identified the two other ships as a Romanian Rear Admiral Eustatiu Sebastian-class corvette and a Bulgarian corvette Bodri. It said they would stay until July 28.

The US-Ukrainian exercise began on Monday and will conclude on Sunday. The US 6th Fleet commander, Vice Adm. Gene Black, said that 26 ships, 19 aircraft and 2,000 service members were involved.

The eight participating nations are Bulgaria, Georgia, Norway, Romania, Spain, Turkey, Ukraine and the United States, which has sent its Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer Porter.