US Says Russian Ships 'Shadowing' Its Navy during NATO Exercise
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Two Russian intelligence gathering ships are currently shadowing US Navy and other NATO vessels operating in the Baltic Sea during a major international exercise this month, according to US Navy Vice Admiral James G. Foggo III, leading the exercise.
“What we have seen is shadowing by two Russian intelligence vessels since we left port in Tallinn, Estonia” on June 5th, Foggo said, Fox News reported.
He added that the Russian ships have been “well behaved” but have refused to communicate with the US Navy despite coming as close as one mile at times with US and allied vessels.
Foggo also commands the US Navy’s 6th Fleet, responsible for the waters around Europe, and spoke to reporters on a conference call Wednesday while on his command ship, USS Mount Whitney, currently steaming off the coast of Poland.
The presence of Russian military forces this month around the large multi-national naval exercise in the Baltics is not new according to NATO officials who say they've seen Russians trailing allied vessels for decades.
The exercise, BALTOPS 2016, is in its 44th year and includes more than 40 ships from 17 nations and some 6,000 sailors, airmen and marines conducting training operations from June 3-19. Non-NATO counties Finland and Sweden are also participating.
