Russia's Baltic Fleet starts drills with Bastion anti-ship missile systems after U.S. destroyers enter Baltic Sea

MOSCOW. March 8 (Interfax) - Russia's Baltic Fleet has announced an exercise using Bastion anti-ship missile systems as two U.S. destroyers have entered the Baltic Sea.

"Units of the Baltic Fleet's Bastion coastal missile systems have conducted a planned training exercise to practice defending the Kaliningrad region's coast amid a threat of missile strikes by a simulated enemy's naval units from the Baltic Sea," the fleet's press service said on Tuesday.

"Baltic Fleet ships currently performing their missions in the sea acted as a simulated enemy. About 100 military service members and over ten automobiles and other special vehicles were involved," it said.

The Russian National Defense Control Center said on March 7 that the Russian military started monitoring U.S. destroyers that entered the Black Sea.

"The Baltic Fleet's forces and assets have started monitoring the USS Donald Cook and the USS Forrest Sherman guided missile destroyers of the U.S. Navy, which entered the Baltic Sea," the center said.