Russia Warns It Sees ‘Concentrated Presence’ Of NATO Warships In Black Sea

The Kremlin has again warned against a build-up of NATO warships in the Black Sea, while saying it is monitoring a noticeable increase in Western military vessels.

“Of course, the concentrated presence of NATO ships – we are paying attention to Bulgaria and Romania, the coastal states that are members of the (NATO) alliance – of course this represents, especially in the current situation, an additional threat to Russia,” Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a press briefing Thursday.

“Of course, Russia will take all necessary measures to ensure its own security,” he added. Throughout the course of the war, Ukraine forces have used both aerial missiles as well as sea drones to attack Russia’s Black Sea fleet.

Ukraine’s President Zelensky has meanwhile vowed to not let Russia dominate the Black Sea. This week he unveiled a new ‘maritime security strategy’ in cooperation with the West.

The strategy seeks to ensure “readiness, comprehensive and effective prevention and response to threats to the maritime security of Ukraine arising in coastal areas, in its maritime spaces, as well as other areas of the World Ocean to which the economic and other interests of Ukraine extend.”

A key measure is that it proposes “ensuring the permanent presence of NATO forces in the Black Sea.”