The Sea Breeze exercise, which began on 1 July, are conducted by NATO and several allies, including Ukraine and Georgia, in the northwestern region of the Black Sea. They will end on 12 July.
"A Russian naval task force has begun a series of planned combat training exercises in the Black Sea," the press service said in a statement.
The drills involve some ten warships, including two large landing ships, two guided-missile corvettes and several missile boats.
According to the statement, warships will conduct live missile and artillery firing drills at the final stage of the exercises.
Russian Su-27 Jet Scrambled to Intercept US Spy Plane Over Black Sea - Military
A Russian Su-27 fighter jet intercepted a US P-8A Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft as it approached Russian airspace over the Black Sea, the Russian Defence Ministry said on Friday.
The ministry said the Armed Forces spotted the aerial target as it approached Russian airspace.
"An Su-27 fighter jet as part of the Southern Military Districts air defences was scrambled to intercept the target. The crew flew the aircraft at a safe distance to the aerial target and identified it as a US P-8A Poseidon reconnaissance jet, which immediately changed the direction of its flight to fly away from the Russian state border," the ministry said in a statement.
The Russian jet carried out its flight in line with international rules. After completing its mission, the Su-27 returned to its home base, according to the military.
Earlier in the day an alleged video of an interception of a US P-8 Poseidon surveillance aircraft by Russian warplanes near the coast of Crimea surfaced online.
US forces are currently participating in NATO’s Sea Breeze naval drills in the Black Sea.
The Russian Navy concurrently kicked off its own scheduled "combat training" exercises in the Black Sea.
According to the Russian Armed Forces official newspaper, Krasnaya Zvezda, Russian jets have been scrambled three times over the past week to block foreign aircraft from illegally entering Russian airspace. 26 foreign surveillance aircraft have been spotted by Russian forces near its airspace over the past week.
