US guided-missile destroyer 'Donald Cook' sets off for Black Sea – military

The US guided-missile destroyer 'Donald Cook' began its transit of the Dardanelles Strait en route to the Black Sea, the press office of the US 6th Fleet said on Tuesday. The USS 'Donald Cook' will “conduct maritime security operations and enhance regional maritime stability, combined readiness and naval capability with our NATO allies and partners in the region,” the statement said. The press office said the warship had already performed certain missions in the Black Sea a month ago. It visited Batumi, Georgia, and conducted an exercise with two Georgian Coast Guard ships. The destroyer left the Black Sea on January 28. The Russian Black Sea Fleet’s guard ship 'Pytlivy' tracked the US vessel’s movements at the time, TASS said.