New Russian military drills on Ukraine border, in Black Sea
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Military drills are being conducted by Moscow in the south on the border with Ukraine, along with Belarus and in the Black Sea.
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Russian army troops
The Russian Defense Ministry announced Friday that 400 soldiers are taking part in a tactical drill in the Rostov region in the south on the border with Ukraine.
The Ministry indicated that about 70 military vehicles, including tanks and drones, will be used in the maneuvers, which include training for combat missions.
Additionally, the Ministry of Defense announced that it is conducting naval exercises in the Black Sea. Moscow has sent six warships through the Bosphorus to conduct naval maneuvers in the Black Sea and the neighboring Sea of ​​Azov.
Tens of thousands of Russian soldiers began large-scale drills in Belarus on Thursday, expected to go on until February 20. As part of the drills, the "combat crews of the Russian Eastern Military District’s S-400 surface-to-air missile system went on combat duty to ensure air defense," according to the Russian Defense Ministry.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian called the Russian-Belarusian joint drills a "very violent gesture."
In recent days, several European officials have flocked to Moscow to ease tensions.
Russia has repeatedly denied any intention to invade Ukraine while pointing to NATO's military activity as a threat to Russian national security.
Just a couple of days after 2,000 US troops land in Europe to "assist" Kiev against Russia, London has also pitched in, sending more than 100 of its special forces advisors to the Ukrainian capital to train and aid the Ukrainian military.
