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A NATO patrol in the Black Sea. Non-trivial act

(B2) Four NATO ships arrived in Odessa (Ukraine) after entering the Black Sea

The arrival of HMS Duncan in Odessa (credit: NATO / Exercise Sea Breeze)

Mission of the Atlantic Alliance naval patrol arrived in the Ukrainian Black Sea port on Thursday (July 4): conduct a routine patrol aimed at enhancing interoperability with Allies and enhancing cooperation with NATO partners according to the official press release.

A very political message

This visit does not only have technical aspects. It carries a very political message vis-à-vis Russia: that the NATO allies are not prepared to abandon Ukraine to its fate. " Although not a member of NATO, Ukraine is a valuable partner for NATO we say to the Alliance. During the patrol, the SNMG2 thus plans to carry out a port visit to Ukraine, a NATO partner, and to participate in the exercise Sea Breeze, co-hosted by the United States and Ukraine.

A way to perfect techniques

« It's a great opportunity for our sailors to hone their skills and work together, bonds that bind our allied and partner nations together. said Commodore Josée Kurtz of the Royal Canadian Navy, who leads NATO's Maritime Group Two.

Several ships including a spy ship

The SNMG2 includes, in addition to the flagship (Canadian) HMCS Toronto (FFH-333), the british destroyer HMS Duncan (D-37) and the Turkish frigate TCG Turgut reis (F-241), joined on the spot by the Romanian frigate ROS Regele Ferdinand. The French frigate Courbet and the French Navy intelligence collecting vessel, the FS Dupuy de Lome (A-759) also participates in the exercise.

Regular traffic

This type of visit is nothing new. The standing naval forces also carry out regular patrols in the international waters of the Black Sea. Short visits supervised by the Montreux Convention which defines the passage of military ships in the Bosphorus. NATO also has three neighboring countries which have (Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey)

(NGV)

Nicolas Gros Verheyde

Chief editor of the B2 site. Graduated in European law from the University of Paris I Pantheon Sorbonne and listener to the 65th session of the IHEDN (Institut des Hautes Etudes de la Défense Nationale. Journalist since 1989, founded B2 - Bruxelles2 in 2008. EU/NATO correspondent in Brussels for Sud-Ouest (previously West-France and France-Soir).

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