Photo credit: Romanian navy
A NATO multinational exercise led by the Romanian Navy started in the Black Sea and the river Danube Delta, very close to Ukraine, which continues to fight Russia since the Russian invasion of the country in 2022.
Dan Neculaescu, Romanian Ambassador to NATO, said with a post in the social media X (formerly twitter) that Sea Shield 24, one of the most complex multinational exercises led by the Romanian Naval Forces, started in the Black Sea and the Danube Delta.
Among the participants in the exercise will be NATO as well as non-NATO members.
Twelve NATO allies and partners from Bulgaria, France, Georgia, Greece, Italy, the U.K., Moldova, Poland, Portugal, Türkiye, Netherlands, and the United States, are joining forces in the Black Sea and the Danube Delta with over 2,200 troops and 135 military assets.
The Romanian navy has also confirmed the naval exercise in an official statement mentioning that the multinational exercise Sea Shield 24 will take place between 8 and 21 April.
Dan Neculaescu said that the mission of these NATO allies and partners is to enhance interoperability and strengthen defense on the Eastern Flank.
According to a press release by the Romanian navy, the exercise will involve more than 2,200 military personnel, 27 ships, 17 planes, and other military-technical equipment.
It will be “the most complex event conducted by the Romanian Naval Forces,” the press release said.
Over 2,200 military personnel and 135 technical means will train in the Black Sea, in the coastal area, on the river and in the Danube Delta, for missions to combat illegal activities at sea and river, maritime and river control, search and rescue at sea, assisting a ship in distress and ensuring security of critical infrastructure.
It’s worth mentioning that hundreds of mines have been spread throughout the Black Sea since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion in Ukraine. Several civilian ships and navy ships belonging to countries not party to the war have struck sea mines since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.
