Simmering tensions between NATO and Russia reached boiling point in August and September 2020, as NATO bomber patrols and intelligence-gathering operations over the Black Sea intensified.
The increased Western air and naval presence in the region was a clear demonstration of NATO’s solidarity with its allied and partner nations. Most of the missions were close to Russia-controlled Crimea, challenging Moscow’s ambitions to become a permanent regional superpower and triggering a nervous response from the Russian military.
