WASHINGTON, June 18. /TASS/. The US Navy’s amphibious assault ship Oak Hill has begun its transit into the Black Sea where it will join the guided-missile destroyer USS Porter, the press office of the US 6th Fleet reported on Thursday.

"The dock landing ship USS Oak Hill began its northbound transit into the Black Sea, June 18, to conduct maritime security operations and strengthen [US] relationships with region partners and allies. Oak Hill will join the guided-missile destroyer USS Porter, which entered the Black Sea on June 17," the 6th Fleet said in a statement.

The visit by the Oak Hill will be the fourth entry of the US Navy ships into the Black Sea since early 2020. The ship is organically assigned to the Bataan amphibious ready group in the Mediterranean Sea.

Russia’s National Defense Control Center announced on Wednesday that the Southern Military District’s forces and capabilities started tracking the US guided-missile destroyer Porter that had entered the Black Sea.