MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia’s Defence Ministry said on Thursday it was moving more than 10 navy vessels, including landing boats and artillery warships, from the Caspian Sea to the Black Sea to take part in exercises, Interfax news agency reported.
Western nations and Ukraine have voiced concern over a Russian military buildup near Ukraine. Moscow has said its forces will stay put as long as it sees fit and that they pose no threat.
On Tuesday, it said it was beginning a planned combat readiness inspection of its forces that would involve more than 4,000 drills this month.
“As part of the winter training check, more than 10 amphibious and artillery boats and vessels of the southern military district are conducting an inter-fleet move from the Caspian Sea to the Black Sea,” the ministry was quoted as saying on Thursday.
It said they would take part in drills.
Russia’s Black Sea fleet is based in Crimea, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014. Kyiv wants the peninsula back.
(Reporting by Katya Golubkova; writing by Tom Balmforth; editing by Timothy Heritage)
