Russian Navy Tracks US Destroyer Porter Upon Latter's Entry to Black Sea - Military

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Three vessels of the Russian Black Sea Fleet have taken the Porter destroyer of the US Navy under escort after the latter had entered the Black Sea's southern waters, the Russian National Centre for State Defence Control said on Saturday.

"The Black Sea Fleet forces are tracking the guided-missile destroyers USS Porter entering the southern Black Sea on 12 October", the centre said.

According to the centre, the escort operation is carried out by the Admiral Essen guard ship and small-size missile ships Vyshny Volochek and Orekhovo-Zuyevo.

Prior to this, the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, armed with cruise missiles and missile interceptors, entered the southern part of the Black Sea on 8 August. Then the direct monitoring was carried out by the Smetlivy guided-missile destroyer.

Also, the USS Porter participated in the NATO multinational training exercise Sea Shield 2017 in the Black Sea.