Ships belonging to the US and UK navy carried out exercises in the Barents Sea, where Russia's Northern Fleet is located. The United States, which has not been in the Barents Sea since the 1980s, entered Russia's “backyard” today for maritime security activities for the first time in nearly 40 years.

Three Arleigh Burke-class Aegis destroyers USS Donald Cook (DDG 75), USS Porter (DDG 78), USS Roosevelt (DDG 80) are supported by fast combat support ship USNS Supply (T-AOE 6), and joined by the Royal Navy’s HMS Kent (F 78) to assert freedom of navigation and demonstrate seamless integration among allies.

The Russian Defence Ministry was briefed on the exercise on May 1st. Moscow is conducting testing of several military platforms in the Barents Sea.