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Full responsibility for a possible worsening of the situation in the Black Sea region will rest with the United States, Colonel General Sergei Rudskoi, head of the Russian Army’s Main Directorate of Operations, said on Friday.
He warned against a tense situation in the Black Sea region in connection with the intensification of NATO reconnaissance activities near the borders of the Russian Federation in the area of the Crimean peninsula, TASS reported, according to Agerpres.
“Full responsibility for a possible escalation of the situation in the region will rest entirely with the United States and its NATO allies.”, the Russian general insisted during a press conference in Moscow.
He said that this year foreign reconnaissance aircraft have stepped up their patrol operations in the Black Sea region by 40% compared to last year.
Regarding aerial reconnaissance operations near the Crimean peninsula, he said that “Compared to September last year, its incidence increased by 61%.”
“On September 4 alone, five foreign reconnaissance aircraft were in the Black Sea at the same time.”General Rudskoi said, stating that they were only 15 kilometers from the Russian border.
The grievances expressed by Moscow
Moscow is not satisfied with the fact that, in addition to NATO reconnaissance aircraft, US strategic bombers are also operating in the Black Sea area, according to the Russian general, who claims that US strategic bombers B-52 Stratofortress simulated during exercises carried out in August. -September air strikes against Russia.
Thus, he said, on August 28, September 4 and 14, American B-52 Stratofortress bombers simulated the use of cruise missiles over the waters of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov and the application of hits against targets in the territory. of the Southern Military District. Russia. During these flights, American planes approached the Russian border at a distance of up to 11 kilometers, Rudskoi was quoted as saying by TASS.
“The Russian Defense Ministry has always been in favor of a course aimed at building a constructive dialogue with NATO and other countries.”said the representative of the General Staff of the Russian army, arguing that Russia has moved the main stage of the ‘Caucasus-2020’ maneuvers to the interior of the country to demonstrate that these exercises are not directed against any country.
“In bilateral contacts with the United States and the North Atlantic Alliance, we have repeatedly initiated discussions on preventing incidents in the military and have proposed specific measures to reduce dangerous military activities along the Russia-NATO line of contact. Our proposals have not been understood “General Rudskoi also said at the same press conference.
In turn, the United States has repeatedly denounced maneuvers “dangerous and unprofessional” by Russian crews during the interception of their aircraft on patrol missions over the Black Sea and the Baltic Sea, warning that such incidents increase the potential for an air collision.
Russia’s relations with NATO and the United States especially deteriorated in 2014 after Moscow annexed the Crimean peninsula of Ukraine and its role in the conflict in eastern Ukraine. Since then, the West has imposed sanctions on Russia and denounced Moscow’s vindictive policy.
