Russia, Turkey hold joint naval drill in Black Sea

MOSCOW

Russian and Turkish naval forces held a joint maneuver in the Black Sea, the Russian Defense Ministry reported Friday.

Russian patrol ship "Vasily Bykov" and sea trawler "Valentin Pikul", and Turkish navy corvette "Burgazada" and minesweeper "Akcay" took part in the drill conducted near the port of Novorossiysk, the ministry said in a statement.

The statement said the two countries' forces worked together to simulate safe navigation of vessels out of a naval minefield.

The drill was part of Turkey's national naval war games "Blue Motherland-2019".