On February 12, 2015, a meeting of four heads of state (Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine) and republics (DPR and LPR) took place in Belarus, at which agreements on a ceasefire in Ukraine were adopted.
And although local skirmishes between the militias and the security forces continued, in general, the truce began, and people in the Donbass began to come out of the basements and recover from the monstrous bloody conflict.
NATO exercises
Before people had time to breathe easy, they began to conduct NATO exercises in the Black Sea. Six ships - Turkey, Italy, Romania, Germany, Canada and the United States - held joint exercises. NATO representatives said that they are aimed at protecting against air and underwater attacks.
However, NATO exercises in the Black Sea can be conducted for the purpose of electronic intelligence. Thus, the movement of ships was controlled by the RF Armed Forces. The Russian Navy believes that NATO exercises in the Black Sea may be relatedto the east of Ukraine.
2014 year. Accession. Teachings. The alignment of forces
In 2014, NATO exercises were already held in the Black Sea. Nine ships of the alliance took part in them.
Recall that in the spring of 2014 Crimea was annexed to Russia. And in the summer and autumn, joint exercises of US and Ukrainian ships were held as part of the Partnership for Peace bilateral cooperation. Also in the summer - NATO exercises in the Black Sea, in which the ships of the countries took part: Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey, Romania and, of course, the United States of America.
And in the autumn of the same year, Russia responded by conducting exercises of the Black Sea Fleet, in which almost twenty ships and vessels, as well as more than twenty aircraft and helicopters, participated. In addition, the marines and coastal artillery were involved. All actions of NATO ships were tracked by Russian sailors.
Then, as the Russian military claimed, the US and NATO were only demonstrating their flag, and not force. The balance of power in the Black Sea was clearly not in their favor. And if it came to a direct collision, then the entire NATO fleet, led by the United States, would be at the bottom of the sea.
Russia has permanent deployment forces in the Mediterranean. Also, the entire Russian coast guard and aviation could be raised in the shortest possible time. The US Sixth Fleet is also based in the Mediterranean. But even if he tried to enter the Black Sea, Russian missile systems, Granit and aviation would quickly meet him.
Donald Cook and Toronto fears
Tenth of AprilIn 2014, the famous American destroyer "Donald Cook" with a missile defense system and cruise missiles "Tomahawk" entered the waters of the Black Sea. The ship was going to maneuver in the east of the reservoir, as assured by the American side. But, alas, he failed to attend the Black Sea, as the Russian Su-24 aircraft overflew the destroyer.
The plane flew over the destroyer twelve times, simulating an attack.
The US military couldn't do anything as the aircraft turned on a state-of-the-art electronic jamming system that blinded the instruments on the destroyer.
Thus, everyone saw the plane, but they couldn't point their weapons at it.
As soon as the destroyer went ashore, twenty-seven members of its crew left, and, as a Pentagon spokesman later testified, the US military was demoralized and overwhelmed by the actions of the Russian aircraft.
In the fall, when NATO military exercises were held, two Russian attack aircraft made their scheduled flights over the Canadian ship Toronto. Canadian Defense Minister Nicholson was extremely outraged by such "provocative actions" of Russian aircraft, although he had to admit that they did not pose a threat to the warship. Apparently, the morale of the Canadian military was also undermined, as well as on the American destroyer. Although nothing was reported about it.
NATO exercises. 2015
And here again NATO "rushed into battle". Exercises in Crimeathe Russian military, however, were also carried out. And as NATO Commander-in-Chief Philip Breedlove later stated, the alignment of forces after the reunification of Crimea and Russia at sea has changed a lot, and it is no longer safe for alliance ships to be in the Black Sea.
Russian response
The NATO group was under close supervision of the latest Russian aviation - Su-30 fighters and Su-24 bombers.
In addition, full-scale exercises were held in the south of Russia by the air defense forces. More than 2,000 servicemen and over 500 pieces of military equipment were involved in the exercises. There were field exits from twelve training grounds located in different federal districts of Russia, as well as from the military bases of Armenia, Abkhazia and South Ossetia. European military experts spoke angrily about such a show of strength by Russian troops and expressed great concern in this regard.
But the fact remains. Western provocation failed again.
