Georgian MFA concerned over Russia's Black Sea drills

PanARMENIAN.Net - The Georgian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Friday, March 29, that Tbilisi was concerned with Russia’s military drills in the country’s southern Black Sea region this week, RIA Novosti reports.

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the snap drills on Thursday, as concerns persist over the combat readiness of the armed forces in Russia.

The Georgian ministry said in a statement that Russia’s actions “contradict interests of stability” in Europe and the drills cannot be viewed as a “proportional reaction on possible threats.”

Georgian Defense Minister Irakly Alasaniya, however, said on Friday that he saw no threat from Russia’s military drills in the Black Sea region.

The Black Sea exercise involves up to 7,000 military personnel, including rapid deployment, airborne and special task forces, more than 30 warships, about 250 armored vehicles, up to 20 pieces of artillery and 20 aircraft.

According to international law, exercises of this size do not have to be announced to other countries prior to their beginning.