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Russian Defense Ministry rejects reports about putting Black Sea Fleet on high alert

The Black Sea Fleet forces continue to operate normally, the Russian Defense Ministry said

© Vladimir Smirnov/TASS

MOSCOW, June 14. /TASS/. Russia’s Defense Ministry has rejected a media report claiming that the Black Sea Fleet was put on high alert.

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"The Reuters report, citing ‘sources close to the Russian military,’ which says that ‘Russian naval forces in the Black Sea region have been put on heightened alert to discourage Ukraine from trying to disrupt the soccer World Cup’ is fake news," the ministry said in a statement issued on Thursday. "The Black Sea Fleet forces continue to operate normally. No steps have been taken to put the fleet on high alert," the Russian Defense Ministry added.

The 2018 FIFA World Cup, the first-ever hosted by Russia, is taking place between June 14 and July 15, 2018, in 11 Russian cities - Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Saransk, Kaliningrad, Volgograd, Yekaterinburg, Samara, Sochi and Rostov-on-Don.

Russia’s national team began its voyage at the World Cup with a confident 5-0 win over Saudi Arabia on Thursday in Moscow in the tournament’s opening match.

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