The US Navy sailed three destroyers into the Barents Sea off Russia’s Arctic coast Monday, the first time Navy ships have operated in the area since the mid-1980s, the height of the Cold War.
The purpose of the operation was “to assert freedom of navigation and demonstrate seamless integration among allies,” US Naval Forces Europe said in a statement.
The three destroyers — USS Donald Cook, USS Porter and USS Roosevelt — were joined by a UK Royal Navy frigate, HMS Kent.
The Barents Sea is part of the Arctic Ocean and borders northern Norway and Russia. The Russian port of Murmansk, which hosts the Russian Navy’s Northern Fleet, sits on the sea.
The US Navy said it had notified Moscow of the upcoming operation on Friday “to avoid misperceptions, reduce risk, and prevent inadvertent escalation.”
US officials have consistently said that Russia has boosted its military presence in the Arctic in recent years.