Russian warship crosses Bosphorus amid tight security measures

ISTANBUL – Doğan News Agency

AA Photos

A Russian warship has traversed Turkey’s Bosphorus en route to the Black Sea amid tight security measures. The warship was accompanied by two boats and a ship from the Turkish Coast Guard in addition to a police helicopter. 

The warship “Novocherkassk” entered the Bosphorus from the Marmara Sea around 7:15 a.m. on March 2. Turkey took strict aerial and naval security measures throughout its passage. 

Turkish police stood guard along the coasts of the Bosphorus while the ship moved along the strait accompanied by two Turkish Coast Guard boats, a coast guard ship and a police helicopter.
 
Turkey’s relations with Russia has been thorny since the former’s downing of a Russian jet on Nov. 24 for violating Turkish airspace despite repeated warnings. 

Russian warships have been continuing to cross the strait amid the growing rift, and caused a second crisis on the morning of Dec. 6 when a Russian soldier appeared on a warship’s deck, holding a surface-to-air missile in firing position while passing through Istanbul’s Bosphorus en route to the Mediterranean Sea.