The Russian Navy began to monitor the USS Navy destroyer USS Donald Cook, which entered the Black Sea. It is reported by the press service of the National Center for Defense Management of the Russian Federation.

"The forces of the Black Sea Fleet began tracking the American destroyer with guided missiles of the US Navy, USS Donald Cook, immediately after its entry into the Black Sea," the report says.

As noted by the Ministry of Defense, direct surveillance of the actions of the American destroyer will be the patrol ship of the Black Sea Fleet "Pytlivy." In addition, USS Donald Cook is monitored using electronic and fleet technology.

The National Defense Center noted that the US Navy ship should leave the Black Sea before February 10.

“The USS Donald Cook squadron entered the Black Sea area at 20:50 Moscow time. In accordance with the provisions of the Montreux International Convention, which regulates the passage of the Turkish straits for warships of non-Black Sea states, the time spent by the American destroyer in the Black Sea should not exceed 21 days, ”explained the Russian National Defense Control Center.

Earlier, the US Navy’s Sixth Operational Fleet reported that a USS Donald Cook squadron was sent to the Black Sea to conduct operations to ensure maritime security, strengthen stability and joint preparedness with NATO allies and partners in the region.

“The United States and the American fleet continue to assist our allies and partners in supporting common regional interests and stability at sea,” said Captain Matthew J. Powell. “Our arrival in the Black Sea will demonstrate the operational compatibility of the naval forces in achieving security objectives in the region,” he concluded.

The American military structure noted that they regularly conduct operations in the Black Sea in accordance with the Montreux Convention and international law.

Arly Burke, a USS Donald Cook class US missile destroyer, was launched in 1998. Its main weapon type is Tomahawk cruise missiles, from 56 to 96 similar ammunition are on board the warship.

  • Russian patrol frigate "Inquisitive"
  • © Wikimedia Commons

Let us emphasize that earlier this month, another representative of the US Navy — the landing ship Fort McHenry with part of the 22nd naval expeditionary detachment — entered the Black Sea area. From January 7 to 10, he was in the port of the Romanian city of Constanta, after which, together with the national frigate Regele Ferdinand, he held joint exercises in the territorial waters of Romania and the international waters of the Black Sea.

At the same time, the USS Fort McHenry parachute transport dock also carried out the Pytlivy Black Sea Fleet patrol ship.

After the incident in the Kerch Strait in the United States began to be heard calls about the need to strengthen the presence in the Black Sea. To this, in particular, called on the special representative of the State Department for Ukraine Kurt Volker. In addition, 41 US senators urged US President Donald Trump to conduct an international operation to establish "freedom of navigation" in the Kerch-Yenikalya channel. In addition, Washington allocated $ 10 million to the Ukrainian Navy as additional funding.

Recall that on November 25, 2018 three ships of the Ukrainian Navy — the military tug Yana Kapu, the armored boats Berdyansk and Nikopol — illegally crossed the Russian border and tried to cross the Kerch Strait, ignoring the existing passage rules and requirements of the Russian border guards.

In response, border guards of the FSB of the Russian Federation had to use force to prevent illegal actions by the Ukrainian representatives when they entered the territorial waters of Russia. On board the ships were 22 Ukrainian military and two employees of the SBU.

As Russian President Vladimir Putin noted during a big press conference, the ruling circles of Kiev hoped that provocative actions would lead to the death of the Ukrainian military, therefore the absence of such a development caused great discontent. At the same time, the head of state indicated that the leader of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, was trying to earn political points on the eve of the presidential elections scheduled for March.

“He must have completed his task. At the expense of the interests of the country, I believe. This is a bad way to raise the rating, ”stated Putin.