Russia to react to Ukraine-US drills if necessary

The annual Sea Breeze drills, which are focused on the Black Sea area, will involve personnel from a number of NATO countries and are set to take place from June 28 to July 10, the Russian defence ministry said on Wednesday, according to Reuters.

The annual Sea Breeze drills, which are focused on the Black Sea area, will involve personnel from a number of NATO countries and are set to take place from June 28 to July 10, the ministry said in a statement.

Moscow said the drills went well beyond what it called Ukraine’s own Black Sea zone.

“The Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation will closely monitor the preparations and the Ukrainian-American ‘Sea Breeze’ exercises themselves...and if necessary respond appropriately to the situation in the interests of ensuring Russia’s military security,” the ministry said.

Tensions between Russia and Ukraine remain acutely strained after Moscow annexed Ukraine’s Crimea region in 2014.