Romania Starts Major Naval Drill in Black Sea

Some 1,500 troops and 12 ships from Romania, an American destroyer and a sea dredger from Bulgaria are taking part in a major naval exercise organised by the Romanian Navy.

The drills aim to strenghten the level of inter-operability between NATO forces as well as inter-agency cooperation in Romania, in an environment facing multiple threats, a Romanian naval statement said.

The program, which ends on May 28, includes an exercise that involves the evacuation of non-combatants from a conflict area.

The star of this week's exercise is an American guided-missile destroyer, USS Ross, which came to Constanta last weekend. The warship, equipped with the Aegis ballistic missile-defense system, is on its second visit in the past 12 months.

"Ross's presence in the Black Sea will demonstrate the United States' commitment to the collective security of our NATO allies. We will work closely with our allies and partners to enhance maritime security, readiness, and naval capability," the Commanding Officer of the USS Ross said.

Romania is one of NATO's strongest supporters among the ex-Communist countries of Eastern Europe.

The millitary drills in the Black Sea take place in the context of the continuing crisis in Romania's neighbour, Ukraine.

Unlike some other countries in the region, Romania has given full backing to Western sanctions imposed on Russia for its perceived role in the separatist revolt in southeast Ukraine.

Romanians also view Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine with concern, fearing that Russia might try something similar with the breakaway Russian-speaking enclave of Transnistria in neighbouring Moldova.

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