Five NATO ships entered the port of Odessa as part of the Sea Breeze exercise and will remain there until July 28.
The Commander of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksiy Neizhpapa said that the international exercises Sea Breeze-2020 had begun in the Black Sea. In total, it was planned to attract about 2 thousand people from nine countries, more than 20 ships, as well as planes and helicopters to the exercises. In addition to Ukraine and the United States, the military of Bulgaria, Georgia, Norway, France, Romania, Spain and Turkey are taking part in Sea Breeze-2020.
“Early this morning, five NATO ships, led by the flagship of the SNMG2 group, entered the Odessa port. The first, at about 7 o’clock, moored at the Yug naval base in Prakticheskaya Gavan, corvettes – the Romanian Kontradmiral Sebastian (board 264) and the Bulgarian “Bodry” (board 14). By 9 o’clock, the main strike forces of the Sea Breeze began to arrive at the port. Frigates moored at berths 18, 19 and 20 – Spanish (SNMG2 flagship) F101 Alvaro de Bazan, Turkish F243 Yildirim and Romanian F222 Regina Maria, he said.
It is noted that four ships, in addition to the Spanish one, have already been to Odessa.
“Alvaro de Bazan is equipped with an analogue of the American Aegis combat information and control system. The ship’s main strike weapon is the Harpoon anti-ship missiles. In addition, it has 48 vertical launch silos Mk 41 for various missiles, torpedo launchers and artillery weapons. Bazan carries one SH-60 SeaHawk anti-submarine helicopter. The ships will stay in Odessa until July 28, ”added Neizhpapa.