Black Sea tensions

The Russian Defense Ministry says the recent US military actions in the Black Sea are “aggressive” and pose a threat to regional and strategic stability.

The ministry said it had detected six NATO reconnaissance flights over the Black Sea in the past 24 hours, stressing that, “Russia will act to defend its security if there is any threatening action by its opponents along its borders.”

Government spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed a western media report on US' concerns about Russia’s possible attack on Ukraine. The Black Sea is a sensitive security zone for Moscow as it is located near the Crimean Peninsula, which rejoined Russia in a 2014 referendum.

NATO has recently ramped up activities in the form of holding drills and deployment of warships in the strategic region in a move expected to provoke response from Russia along its western borders.

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