Two Russian military ships have been tracking the USS Ross that entered the Black Sea on April 14. USS Ross (DDG-71) is an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer in the United States Navy.
The USS Ross, which aims “to strengthen the interoperability with NATO allies and partners” is visiting Georgia’s Black Sea port of Batumi on April 21-25 and has been tracked by two Russian ships on its way. The Russian news agency TASS reported earlier that the Russian Navy Vasily Bykov-class patrol vessel and the Russian Navy reconnaissance ship Ivan Khurs were monitoring the USS Ross' movements in the Black Sea. The Head of Georgia’s Border Police, Temur Kekelidze, said this is not the first case of Russian tracking in the Black Sea. However, he said the Russian ships have not entered the territorial waters controlled by Georgia so far.
One of the passengers on the USS Ross was the US Ambassador to Georgia, Ross Wilson, who afterwards responded to the tracking. “Russia is often caught reacting upon the movement of ships belonging to the US or other countries. However, it is our right to carry out such operations in line with international law. You should ask Russia what risks it sees in such activities,” Wilson said. Wilson also stressed that these visits are intended to showcase the United States' partnerships in this region, to bolster security, stability and peace in the region, and in particular, to show strong support for Georgia and for its independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The Prime Minister of Georgia, Mamuka Bakhtadze, who has been received on the USS Ross on 23 April, expressed his support and delight for the US naval presence in the Black Sea. “Since the day of restoration of Georgia's independence, the US has always been on our side and the Georgian people will never forget this. The security of the Black Sea region is becoming more and more important for the international community, our message has always been clear to our friends - the sustainable security of the transatlantic states is unimaginable without security in the Black Sea region”, he added.
