SEA BREEZE

• Ukraine and the United States launched joint naval Exercise ‘Sea Breeze’ in the Black Sea in a show of Western cooperation with Ukraine as it faces off with Russia.
• The drills come just days after the British Royal Navy’s HMS Defender passed near Russian-annexed Crimea in the Black Sea.

Important Points:

• The exercise Sea Breeze has been held since 1997, involving NATO states and their allies in the Black Sea region.
• It has taken place 21 times since 1997. This edition (2021) will be the largest In Exercise’s history that will involve some 5,000 military personnel from more than 30 countries.
• The drill is aimed at improving naval and land operations and improving cooperation among participating counties.
• The exercise is also aimed at sending a powerful message to maintain stability and peace in the region.

Significance:

• The unique geography of the Black Sea region confers several geopolitical advantages to Russia and thus Russia always wanted to control the region.
• Firstly, it is an important crossroads and strategic intersection for the entire region. Access to the Black Sea is vital for all littoral and neighboring states, and greatly enhances the projection of power into several adjacent regions.
• Secondly, the region is an important transit corridor for goods and energy.
• Thirdly, the Black Sea region is rich in cultural and ethnic diversity, and due to geographical proximity, shares close historical ties with Russia.
• Following such interest, Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and claims the waters around the peninsula as part of its territory.
• Most countries do not recognise the takeover and stand behind Ukraine’s claims to the waters.

Black Sea:

• This marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, located between Eastern Europe and Western Asia.
• The bordering countries of Black Sea are: Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Turkey, Bulgaria and Romania.
• The Black Sea happens to be the largest water body with a meromictic basin, which means the movement of water between the lower and upper layers of the sea is a rare phenomenon which is also responsible for its Anoxic Water (i.e. a significant absence of oxygen in the water).

SOURCE: THE HINDU,THE ECONOMIC TIMES,MINT