The naval forces of Romania, together with the US Naval forces, organized
multinational naval exercises named “Sea Breeze 23.3”, scheduled to take place
from 11 September to 15 September in the Black Sea near the Danube Delta.
According to the press service of the Romanian Naval Forces, military personnel from the US, Bulgaria, France, the United Kingdom, Romania, Türkiye, and Ukraine will also participate in the exercises.
The exercise will be led by the Naval Component Command Vice Admiral Ioan Georgescu. The primary objective of these naval exercises is to develop operational and tactical interoperability among the participating nations, particularly in countering explosive hazards such as maritime mines to ensure freedom of navigation.
From the
Romanian side, the naval assets and personnel involved will include the dredger
Sublocotenent Alexandru Axente, the high-speed diving ship Venus, the armored
boat Posada, three amphibious armored personnel carriers, assault boats, and
other naval vessels. Furthermore, experts specializing in explosive ordnance
disposal, marine infantry, and senior officers will participate.
The US
contribution to the exercises includes the maritime patrol and reconnaissance
aircraft Poseidon, diver-engineers with boats and specialized equipment. Other
participating countries will contribute divers, specialists in explosive
ordnance disposal, and senior officers.
The
exercises will take place shortly after Russian intense drone attacks on
Ukraine’s seaports and Russian withdrawal from the grain deal. Withdrawing from
the deal, Russia aims to blackmail the world by hunger in order to have
sanctions lifted. Russian forces have been consistently targeting Ukrainian
ports on the Danube and blocking navigation in the Black Sea.
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