MOSCOW, June 28. /TASS/. The Black Sea Fleet keeps a close watch on the ships of NATO and other countries participating in the Sea Breeze-2021 exercise in the Black Sea, Russia's national defense command center told the media on Monday.

"The Black Sea Fleet is taking a package of measures to monitor operations by the ships of NATO and other countries participating in the Sea Breeze exercise, which began in the northwestern part of the Black Sea on June 28, 2021," the center said.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the exercise will be held on June 28 - July 10. Its main participants are Ukraine, the United States, Canada, Britain, the Netherlands, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey, Latvia and partner states. The exercise will involve some 4,000 officers and men, 40 naval ships, boats and supply vessels, 30 aircraft, and more than 100 trucks and armored vehicles.

Earlier, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said that under the cover of the Sea Breeze-2021 exercise modern weapons and ammunition would be delivered to the Ukrainian army and nationalist forces stationed near the areas of Ukraine's Donetsk and Lugansk regions not controlled by Kiev.