In the northwestern part of the Black Sea and in the Danube Delta, the international exercises Sea Breeze 23.3, organized by the Romanian and US Naval Forces, started today, September 11.
Defense Express writes about it.
Military personnel from Romania, the USA, Bulgaria, France, Great Britain, Turkey and Ukraine are taking part in the exercises. The main goal of the exercises is to practice demining.
That is why Romania, whose forces became the core of the training, is represented by the minesweeper Slt. Alexandru Axente (DM-30), diving and other boats, as well as the river ship (monitor) F-179 Posada. On the US side, the P-8 Poseidon anti-submarine aircraft, as well as boats and divers, are taking part in the exercises. Other countries sent specialists and staff officers.
The maneuvers will last until September 15. It is not yet clear how the Kremlin will react to this — whether it will stop attacking Ukraineʼs port infrastructure on the Danube for the duration of the exercises, or whether it will increase the degree of tension. The last attack on the Odesa region was on September 8.
- Sea Breeze exercises are held in the Black Sea every year. Usually, the Naval Forces of Ukraine take part in them, but last year, due to the invasion of the Russians, the maneuvers took place without Ukrainians.