The Russian military fleet announced the entry of the missile cruiser "Moskova" to the Black Sea, coinciding with Moscow's announcement of the start of monitoring the movements of the American ship "Hamilton" in the same area.
A statement by the Black Sea Fleet stated that the Russian cruiser will conduct combat exercises with live ammunition, with the participation of the ships of the Black Sea Fleet, military aviation and air defense systems, adding that the sea areas that will witness these maneuvers will be closed.
The Russian missile cruiser is a warship whose primary mission is to attack aircraft carriers and major naval vessels.
The Russian Defense Ministry also said that it had begun monitoring the movements of the American ship "Hamilton" that entered the Black Sea.
The US Sixth Fleet announced the entry of the US Coast Guard ship "Hamilton" to the Black Sea to provide support to NATO allies and partners in the region.
The "Hamilton" is the first US Coast Guard ship to enter the Black Sea since 2008.
Firm response
For his part, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that his country would respond firmly to any US attempts to cross what he described as "red lines", expressing Moscow's readiness for any agreement with Washington that meets Russia's interests.
Lavrov added, in an interview with Russian media, that if Washington is not ready for dialogue, this means a return to conditions worse than the Cold War.
In turn, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said today, Tuesday, that his country has not withdrawn its forces from the Ukrainian borders due to external pressure, adding that Moscow has moved its forces on its territory as it deems appropriate.