Exercise Sea Breeze

Exercise Sea Breeze

Part of: GS Prelims and GS II – International Relations

In news 

• Ukraine and USA launched joint naval Exercise ‘Sea Breeze’ in the Black Sea to show Western cooperation with Ukraine as it faces off with Russia.
  • The exercise Sea Breeze has been held since 1997, involving NATO states and their allies.
  • This edition (2021) will be the largest In Exercise’s history that will involve some 5,000 military personnel from more than 30 countries.

Aim of the Exercise

• Improving naval and land operations 
• Improving cooperation among participating counties.
• Sending a powerful message to maintain stability and peace in the region.

Significance of Black Sea for Russia

• The unique geography of the Black Sea region provides several geopolitical advantages to Russia 
  • Russia has always wanted to control the region.
• It is an important crossroads and strategic intersection for the entire region. 
• Its Access greatly enhances the projection of power into several adjacent regions.
• The region is an important transit corridor for goods and energy.
• It is rich in cultural and ethnic diversity, and shares close historical ties with Russia.

About Black Sea

• It is 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.
• It is the largest water body with a meromictic basin
  • It 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 (significant absence of oxygen in the water).

Pic courtesy: Wikipedia