Russia is preparing their largest military mission since 1991 as Vladimir Putin moves 140 warships and nearly 10,000 troops to the Mediterranean.
According to European news outlet Heraldo the Russian ships started crossing the Strait of Gibraltar on Tuesday to prepare for military exercises.
The Kremlin has denied all claims that they are preparing to invade the Ukraine.
Russian Northern Fleet arrived in the Mediterranean Sea on Tuesday and in a statement the Russian Navy said, the battleship “Marshal Ustinov,” the frigate “Admiral Kasatov” and destroyer “Vice-Admiral Kulakov” crossed the Strait of Gibraltar on Tuesday afternoon.
There will be more military manoeuvres to be held in the Mediterranean and the North and Okhotsk Seas, the north eastern part of the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.
Boris Johnson has warned there is very “gloomy” intelligence which does suggest that the Kremlin is planning an imminent raid on the Ukrainian capital Kiev.
The Kremlin said that the aim of the manoeuvres is “the defence of Russian national interests in the seas” and they will “fight” against any “military threats” to Russia.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III warned that it “far and away exceeds what we would typically see them do for exercises.”
General Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, added, “I think you’d have to go back quite a while to the Cold War days to see something of this magnitude.”
Russia has also moved six warship to the Black Sea for military manoeuvres and in a statement on Tuesday the Russian Defence Ministry said, the ships of the Baltic Fleet and the Northern Fleet were passing the Bosphorus in Turkey in “a planned manner” to take part in pre-announced military drills.
Turkey is part of NATO and legally they should close the Bosphorus Strait to Russia if they invade the Ukraine.
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