US Navy And Partners Proceed With Black Sea Drills

Handout photo dated June 28, 2021 of the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ross (DDG 71) is moored during a port visit to Odesa, Ukraine for Exercise Sea Breeze. Exercise Sea Breeze is a multinational maritime exercise cohosted by U.S. Sixth Fleet and the Ukrainian navy in the Black Sea since 1997. Just days after Russia threatened to fire on intruding warships near the Crimean Peninsula in the Black Sea, the annual Sea Breeze exercise, which U.S. 6th Fleet is co-hosting with the Ukrainian Navy, kicked off Monday with the largest number ever of participating countries. Thirty-two countries from six continents are providing 5,000 troops, 32 ships, 40 aircraft, and 18 special operations and dive teams to the exercise. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jack D. Aistrup via ABACAPRESS.COM