U.S. urges not to trust Russian officials' statements on 'provocations' in Black Sea

The United States has urged not to trust statements by Russian officials about "provocations" in the Black Sea.

According to Ukrinform, the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv posted a diplomatic warning called "A Black Friday public service announcement" on its Twitter account.

"To distract from the truth, you may hear Russian officials make false claims about the Black Sea," the embassy said in the video, adding a photo of Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov saying: "We see deliberate provocations."

"Whose provocations?" U.S. diplomats asked, urging not to trust statements by Russian officials, but to verify their propaganda claims.

As was reported earlier, U.S. Navy's guided missile destroyer Arleigh Burke (DDG 51) on November 25 began its northbound transit to the Black Sea to operate with its NATO allies and partners in the region.

USS Mount Whitney entered the Black Sea on November 4. On November 8, U.S. Navy ships Mount Whitney and Porter entered the port of Batumi in Georgia. USS Mount Whitney left the Black Sea on November 15.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on November 18 that Moscow sees deliberate provocations by the West in the Black Sea.

The Bloomberg news agency, citing U.S. intelligence, said on November 25 that Russia had been moving forces to the Crimea Peninsula as part of a large military build-up on Ukraine's border.

op