The Russian Navy regularly accompanies NATO vessels in the Black Sea, thus intimidating and provoking the North Atlantic Fleet.
This was stated in an interview with Business Insider by the commander of the US Navy in Europe and Africa, Admiral Robert Burke. According to him, the maneuvers of the Russian Navy are aimed at intimidating NATO.
"It can be argued that they are provoking us to strike first. We are not going to do it first without provocation, but at the same time I am not going to require my commanders to take the first blow to the jaw," Burke said.
Izvestia writes that in June, the Russian Black Sea Fleet, together with the FSB border service, stopped the violation of the Russian state border by the British destroyer Defender.
The ship crossed the state border of the Russian Federation and entered the territorial sea near Cape Fiolent for 3 km.