On Monday, September 14, despite the spread of coronavirus infection, another illegal military exercise was held in the occupied Crimea. The training ship of the Russian Navy left Sevastopol for the Mediterranean Sea, where the military will undergo naval and navigational practice. This was reported by the press service of the Russian Defense Ministry.
“The training ship of the Russian Navy “Smolny” has left the main base of the Black Sea Fleet (BSF). The ship is making a transition from Sevastopol to the Mediterranean Sea, where the cadets of naval educational institutions on board will pass the ship and navigational practice”,- the message said.
It is noted that the ship accommodated more than 120 cadets of the “Nakhimov Black Sea Higher Naval School” and about 80 students of the branch of the “Nakhimov Naval School” (Sevastopol Presidential Cadet School).
We remind that military exercises, propaganda of military service and conscription into the ranks of the armed forces of the Russian Federation are regularly held in the occupied Crimea. The Russian military exercises are destroying the ecosystem of the peninsula and are a flagrant violation of international law.
Earlier, NATO in its statement on Crimea condemned Russia's ongoing large-scale military build-up in Crimea and expressed concern over Russia's efforts and announced plans to further build up military power in the Black Sea region.