American aircraft will continue to fly over the Black Sea, as this territory is part of international waters, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said on December 20.
At a press conference broadcast on Twitter by the US military department, he clarified that this decision was due to "the continuing concern of the United States about Russia's significant military presence near the border with Ukraine."
"We will continue to fly and walk where international law allows it," Kirby told reporters.
The representative of the US Department of Defense also noted that the Black Sea is part of international waters.
At the same briefing, Kirby told reporters that a team of Pentagon representatives visited Ukraine to discuss the country's air defense needs.
Earlier, on December 16, it was reported that Italian, Romanian and American fighter jets arrived in Romania to "strengthen NATO's presence" in the Black Sea region.
On December 9, the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Valery Gerasimov, announced that the US strategic aviation had increased the number of flights near the eastern borders of Russia. He noted that the Americans are training cruise missile launches.
The day before, the Russian Su-27 escorted French military aircraft Rafale and Mirage-2000 in the sky over the Black Sea.
According to the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova, the actions of the US Air Force have created a threat to civil aviation. She stressed that if in this case the catastrophe was prevented, it does not mean that the United States and NATO can risk people's lives with impunity.
