Un alto funzionario militare americano ha raccontato all'Ap che un caccia russo, sabato scorso, è volato più volte passando molto vicino a una nave da guerra Usa, la Donald Cook, un cacciatorpediniere di stanza nel Mar Nero, nelle acque territoriali davanti alle coste rumene. Il volo è durato circa 90 minuti, nelle ore in cui tornava altissima la tensione in tutta la regione.
Secondo la stessa fonte, l'aereo ha volato nel raggio di 1.000 metri della nave e a circa 500 metri sul livello del mare. Un comportamento che ha fatto scattare l'allarme, spingendo il comandante della della nave a lanciare avvertimenti via radio. Il jet sembrava del tutto disarmato e alla fine è andato via senza creare alcun incidente.
Un gesto «provocatorio». Così il portavoce della Casa Bianca, Jay Carney, commenta il volo basso del caccia russo che nel Mar Nero ha sfiorato una nave americana. «Il Pentagono lo ha già valutato provocatorio e non professionale. Non ho nulla da aggiungere», afferma Carney.
[ilmessaggero.it]
14/4/14
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- Russian jet made multiple, close passes near US warship in Black Sea...
A Russian fighter jet made multiple, close-range passes near an American warship in the Black Sea for more than 90 minutes Saturday amid escalating tensions in the region, a U.S. military official said April 14.
In the first public account of the incident, the official said the Russian Fencer flew within 1,000 yards of the USS Donald Cook, a Navy destroyer, at about 500 feet above sea level. Ship commanders considered the actions provocative and inconsistent with international agreements, prompting the ship to issue several radio queries and warnings.
The fighter appeared to be unarmed and never was in danger of coming in contact with the ship, said the official, who was not authorized to talk publicly by name about the encounter so spoke on condition of anonymity. The passes, which occurred in the early evening there, ended without incident.
The official also said that a Russian Navy ship, a frigate, has been shadowing the U.S. warship, remaining within visual distance but not close enough to be unsafe. The USS Donald Cook has been conducting routine operations in international waters east of Romania.
The ship, which carries helicopters, was deployed to the Black Sea on April 10, in the wake of the Russian military takeover of Ukraine's Crimea region and ongoing unrest there. Ukraine's acting President Oleksandr Turchynov called for the deployment of United Nations peacekeeping troops in the east of the country, where pro-Russian insurgents have occupied buildings in nearly 10 cities.
The gunmen are demanding more autonomy from the central government and closer ties with Russia. The West has accused Moscow of fomenting the unrest. And European Union foreign ministers are meeting in Luxembourg Monday to consider additional sanctions against Russian officials because of Moscow's annexation of Crimea.
NATO's 'continued presence'
Meanwhile, Romanian President Traian Basescu toured a US warship stationed at the Black Sea port of Constanta on April 14, thanking the country’s NATO allies for their "solidarity" in the face of Russia’s actions in neighbouring Ukraine.
Basescu visited the guided missile destroyer USS Donald Cook, stationed in Constanta along with French reconnaissance ship Dupuy de Lome after the eruption of the Ukrainian crisis. The standoff has seen Russia annex the strategic Crimean peninsula halfway across the Black Sea from Constanta, putting neighbouring countries on edge.
Romania has urged NATO to redeploy its forces in eastern Europe, voicing concern over a potential spread of the crisis. "The presence of US and French ships is intented as a message of stability for the region and shows NATO’s solidarity when security is threatened," Basescu said.
The US had previously sent another destroyer, the USS Truxtun, to the Black Sea in March, when the crisis between Russia and Ukraine erupted. Basescu hailed NATO’s "continuous presence here aimed at reinforcing interoperability with the Romanian navy."
[hurriyetdailynews.com]
14/4/14
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Pentagon says Russian fighter flies near U.S. warship in Black Sea...
ReplyDeleteA Russian fighter jet flew near a U.S. warship in the Black Sea for 12 times on Saturday amid rising tensions in eastern Ukraine, the Pentagon said on Monday.
The USS Donald Cook, a Navy destroyer that arrived in the Black Sea on April 10, was patrolling in international waters in the western Black Sea when an unarmed Russian Su-24 Fencer attack aircraft repeatedly flew nearby, Colonel Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesman, told reporters.
"The aircraft did not respond to multiple queries and warnings from Donald Cook, and the event ended without incident after approximately 90 minutes," Warren said.
He said two Russian aircraft were present then, but only one was involved and made a total of 12 passes ranging from near sea level to a couple of thousand feet.
The Russian fighter once flew within 1,000 yards (914 meters) of the U.S. ship, an anonymous U.S. military official told reporters. But Warren said the ship was never in danger, noting " The Donald Cook is more than capable of defending itself against two Su-24s."
"This provocative and unprofessional Russian action is inconsistent with international protocols and previous agreements on the professional interaction between our militaries," Warren added.
The chapter was disclosed as tensions were running high in eastern Ukraine, where armed militants were refusing to heed an ultimatum issued by the Ukrainian government to leave official buildings they took over over the weekend.
Washington and its allies accused Russia of being behind the moves, an allegation denied by Moscow.
http://english.cntv.cn/2014/04/15/ARTI1397517600497272.shtml
15/4/14