You're reading: RFE/RL: Russian defense minister calls ‘constant’ US presence in Black Sea a provocation

RFE/RL: Russian defense minister calls ‘constant’ US presence in Black Sea a provocation

Published Nov. 8, 2021 at 3:48 am

Russian President Vladimir Putin stands on a boat during trip on the Black Sea with his Belarusian counterpart on May 29, 2021, as the close allies met for a second day for informal talks amidst the outcry after Minsk diverted a European plane.

Photo by AFP

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu called the constant presence of the U.S. Navy in the Black Sea a provocation after another ship entered the strategic waters. “This is an almost constant attempt to test us, to check how ready we are, how much we have built the entire [defense] system off the Black Sea coast,” Shoigu told state TV on November 7.