Russia begins monitoring U.S. Navy command ship in Black Sea

The Russian Defense Ministry said Thursday that its Black Sea Fleet has begun monitoring the actions of the U.S. amphibious command ship USS Mount Whitney following the vessel's entry into the Black Sea.

"The forces of the Black Sea Fleet have begun monitoring the actions of the U.S. Navy's USS Mount Whitney command ship, which entered the Black Sea on November 4, 2021," the ministry's Zvezda broadcasting service reported.

The United States sent the USS Mount Whitney command ship to the Black Sea for joint operations with "NATO allies and partners in the region," according to a Twitter post published on the U.S. Sixth Fleet account Monday.