SULAIMANI (ESTA) — More than 30 ships from the Russian Black Sea fleet have started training exercises near the Crimea peninsula as part of wider navy drills, RIA news agency reported on Saturday citing the fleet.
RIA reported that more than 30 Russian ships had left the ports of Sevastopol and Novorossiisk “in accordance to the plans of the drills” near Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014, according to Reuters.
RIA said the aim of the drills was the defense of the coast of Crimea, the outposts of the Black Sea fleet as well as the economy sector and naval communications, Reuters reported.
Russia’s military moves are being closely scrutinized as its massing of troops near Ukraine and a volley of hawkish rhetoric have rattled the West and sparked concern it plans to invade Ukraine, according to Reuters.
Moscow denies any plan to invade, saying it is maintaining its own security against aggression by NATO allies.
Russia announced last month its navy would stage a sweeping set of exercises involving all its fleets this month and next, from the Pacific to the Atlantic, the latest show of strength in a surge of military activity during the standoff with the West.
Countries around the world including the United States and Britain have urged their citizens to leave Ukraine right away to avoid a Russian invasion, that Washington said could occur anytime.
U.S. officials said Russia could invade Ukraine before the conclusion of the Winter Olympics on February 20 and may seek to seize the capital of Kyiv and other cities.
Moscow accused Western nations of spreading lies to distract from their own aggressive acts.
Russia has amassed more than 100,000 troops on the Ukraine border but denies it plans to invade.
Russia wants guarantees from the West, including a promise of no missile deployments near its borders, no NATO membership for Ukraine, and a scaling back of the alliance’s military infrastructure.
Moscow has said it could take unspecified “military-technical” action if its demands are not met. This week it launched joint military exercises in neighboring Belarus and naval drills in the Black Sea.
Diplomatic efforts have so far failed to yield results.
