The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine has released a photo showing the Russian Navy’s latest patrol vessel Pavel Derzhavin (363) shadowing the Legend-class national security cutter USCGC Hamilton (WMSL 753) of the U.S. Coast Guard in the Black Sea. 

According to the plan of joint exercises, the warships of the U.S. Coast Guard and Ukrainian State Border Guard Service, during the passage by sea, worked out the coordination of actions in the international tactical group.

It is noted that the exercises were closely watched by the Russian two Okhotnik project border patrol ships of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) and the Russian Navy’s newest Pavel Derzhavin (363) patrol vessel.

The patrol vessel Pavel Derzhavin built at the slipway of the Zelenodolsk Shipyard in the Volga area is the Project 22160 third serial-built ship. The patrol ship was designed and built using the modular concept of armament. The ship is outfitted with the most advanced radio-technical and sonar systems.

The Project 22160 patrol vessels have been designed by the Severnoye Design Bureau (part of the United Shipbuilding Corporation). They are the first ships in Russia based on the modular design principle.

Russia’s Black Sea fleet launched naval combat exercises on Tuesday as a U.S. coastguard vessel arrived in the region at a time of heightened tension between Russia and the West.

Russia has expressed alarm about the presence of a U.S. warship in the Black Sea, declaring that it was monitoring the actions of U.S. Coast Guard Patrol Cutter Hamilton.

“The Black Sea forces and means have begun monitoring the actions of USCGC Hamilton, which entered the Black Sea on April 27,” said Russian National Defense Control Center, shortly after the U.S. Navy’s Sixth Fleet confirmed the Hamilton had entered the Black Sea “to support NATO allies and partners.”

The Russian Defense Ministry also said that the military presence of non-regional powers in the sea “does not facilitate regional stability,” according to the report.