The Navy announced Thursday the guided-missile destroyer USS Ross made a port visit in Odessa on Christmas Eve, part of its mission in the Black Sea. The Ross is the first U.S. vessel to stop in Odessa since the USS Porter made a port call there in October.
Ahead of arriving in Odessa, two Russian Su-24 bombers, with Su-27 fighter jets, simulated a missile attack on the Ross while it transited the Black Sea on Dec. 23, according to a Ukraine military statement.
"The aircraft have held the maneuver typical of an aerial strike by cruise missiles and returned to the airfield," the statement said.
Earlier this month, the Ross entered the Black Sea while being tailed by the Russian corvette Vyshny Volochyok, a Buyan-M-class missile ship, as it steamed toward port in Constanta, Romania.
"Team Ross has been looking forward to visiting Odessa for a long time," Cmdr. Scott Jones, executive officer of the USS Ross, said in a statement. "Especially during the holiday season, we can't wait to explore this beautiful city and meet the wonderful people who make it great."
The USS Ross is currently homeported in Rota, Spain, and is scheduled to cycle out of Naval Station Rota at some point between 2020 and 2022.
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