Russia, Putin: “NATO and US forces in the Black Sea serious challenge”

The activities of the NATO and American forces in the Black Sea represent “a serious challenge” for Russia, Russian President Vladimir Putin said again this morning in an interview with Vesti. Putin’s words come as Washington and France denounce the massive Russian military presence on the border with Ukraine. “The United States and its NATO allies are conducting unplanned military exercises in the Black Sea. There is not only a powerful naval group involved but also aviation, including strategic warplanes. This is a major challenge for us.” , declared the Russian President. The latest Western military exercises in the Black Sea took place, under the coordination of Ukraine and the US, last June. 30 naval units from 32 countries took part. To confirm the state of tension in Europe, yesterday two British Typhoon fighters escorted Russian strategic Tu-160 bombers away from British airspace after Russian warplanes approached the border, even if they did not enter. A few hours earlier, two Belgian F-16 fighters had done the same with two other Russian Tu-160s.