Russia monitors US ship in the Black Sea
While on patrol, the USS Ross will engage with NATO Allies and partners "to reaffirm the United States’ commitment to strengthening ties, and to promote peace and stability in the region”. Photo: Border Police of Georgia/Facebook
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Two Russian military ships have been tracking the United States Ship Ross that entered the Black Sea over a week ago.
USS Ross, which aims “to strengthen interoperability with NATO allies and partners” is visiting Georgia’s Black Sea port of Batumi on April 21-25.
Russian news agency TASS reported earlier that Russian Navy Vasily Bykov-class patrol vessel and Russian Navy reconnaissance ship Ivan Khurs were monitoring USS Ross' movements in the Black Sea.
Citing the Russian National Defence Management Centre, TASS said "upon entering the Black Sea, the US navy ship was placed under constant monitoring involving the fleet’s coastal surveillance facilities."
Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze, US Ambassador Ross Wilson and Head of Georgia’s Border Police Temur Kekelidze attended a reception at the USS Ross on April 23. Photo: Border Police of Georgia/Facebook
The Head of Georgia’s Border Police Temur Kekelidze said this is not the first case when Russia tracks ships in the Black Sea. However, he said the Russian ships have not entered territorial waters controlled by Georgia.
US Charge d’Affairs, Ambassador Ross Wilson also noted that “its fairly standard practice for the Russian navy to shadow, or follow or track the activities of American and other allied military naval deployments into the Black Sea”.
We are exercising our rights, under international law, to carry out operations here. We believe those operations are important for our ability to work with our friends and partners, including in Georgia. We expect other countries to accept that", Ross Wilson said.
Wilson stressed that these visits are intended to showcase United States' partnership in this region, to bolster security, stability and peace in the region, and in particular, to show strong support for Georgia and for its independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
welcoming US navy’s #Uss Ross 21 ‘s visit to #Batumi! No third State should pretend to monitor friendly port calls to our territory !#Blacksea is for peaceful cooperation, free transit and connectivity not for confrontation!
— Salome Zourabichvili (@Zourabichvili_S) April 23, 2019
Georgian President Salome Zurabishvili also welcomed USS Ross’s visit to Batumi, urging that “no third state should pretend to monitor friendly port calls” in the Black Sea.
Georgia’s Black Sea port of Poti is hosting a group of military vessels of NATO member states, as the Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 is set to hold sea manoeuvres with their Georgian counterparts this week.
HNLMS Evertsen of the Royal Netherlands Navy, TCG Yildirim of the Turkish Navy, BGS Drazki of the Bulgarian Navy and ROS Regele Ferdinand of the Romanian Naval Forces are part of the group led by Commodore Boudewijn Boots.
Georgian Interior Minister Giorgi Gakharia says that the ministry and NATO will cooperate more actively in Black Sea security, as Georgia has no naval forces and the ministry is responsible for the coast’s protection.
Georgian Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani has stated that it is time NATO offer a more comprehensive strategy to the Black Sea region, as a “secure Europe is unimaginable without a secured Black Sea. Zalkaliani said that accepting countries from the Black Sea region into the alliance will benefit NATO.
A multimodal transit terminal has opened in Georgia’s Black Sea Batumi port today, announces the Ministry of Economy of Georgia.
Georgian Defence Minister Levan Izoria has viewed the US guided-missile destroyer USS Ross in Batumi earlier today and stated that Georgia-US relations have never been so close.
The Royal Navy survey ship HMS Echo arrived in Georgia’s Black Sea port of Batumi earlier today. The British Embassy to Georgia said the ship’s visit further demonstrates “the ongoing strong and vibrant cooperation” between the United Kingdom and Georgia.
The captain of a ship sailing under the Panama flag was fined 65,000 GEL in accordance with the decision of a Poti court.