NATO ships from six countries have commenced exercises off the coast of Bulgaria in the Black Sea, 500 kilometers (310 miles) from Russian-held Crimea. The training, which started Tuesday and will last a little over two weeks, comes as a Russian officials say they have the right to position nuclear weapons in the peninsula that was annexed from Ukraine last March.

"I don't know if there are nuclear weapons there now. I don't know about any plans, but in principle Russia can do it," said Mikhail Ulyanov, head of the Russian Foreign ministry's department on arms control, according to the Interfax news agency.

Ships from the United States, Canada, Italy, Romania, Turkey and Bulgaria are taking part in the maneuvers near the Bulgarian port of Varna. Exercises will include anti-aircraft and anti-submarine warfare as well as general preparedness training.

U.S. Rear Adm. Brad Williamson will lead the operation onboard U.S. guided missile cruiser USS Vicksburg.

The training and exercises we will conduct with our allies in the Black Sea prepares us to undertake any mission NATO might require to meet its obligations for collective defense,said Williamson on the alliances Maritime Commandwebsite.

This particular exercise comes at a time of heightened tensions between the alliance and Russia, which NATO accuses of assisting pro-Russian forces in the eastern Ukraine war since it began in April. While a ceasefire has been in place for almost one month since coming into force on Feb. 15, fighting between the Ukrainian military and pro-Russian forces has hardly stopped. However, news that rebels were withdrawing heavy weapons from the front has given fresh hope that the ceasefire eventually maystick.

In the face of accusations that the NATO Black Sea exercises are hostile toward Russia, NATO countered that alliance ships regularly visit the Black Sea for training.

"NATO regularly deploys ships to the Black Sea for maritime awareness and training. This scheduled deployment, given Russia's continued assertiveness, carries an additional message of reassurance to allies in the region,"a NATO official told Reuters.

However, Russias envoy to NATO, Aleksandr Grushko, previouslyhas said that Moscow would take necessary countermeasures if the alliance continued its military buildup in the region.

Since the annexation of Crimea and the war in east Ukraine, NATO has increased its activities significantlyin Eastern Europe, centered around a deployment of troops and equipment known as Operation Atlantic Resolve, across the Baltic states and down to the Black Sea.

Originally posted here:

NATO Begins Exercises In Black Sea, As Russia Says It Can Deploy Nuclear Weapons To Crimea