Anticipating Russia, US Prepares USS Harry S. Truman Aircraft Carrier And 5 Warships In The Mediterranean Sea

JAKARTA - US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has ordered a US Navy carrier strike group to stay in the Mediterranean Sea region rather than move to the Middle East, amid concerns about the buildup of thousands of Russian troops near the Ukrainian border.

A defense official said Tuesday the change in the schedule of the carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) as the leader of the strike group and the five accompanying American warships, reflected the need for a continued presence in Europe.

"This is necessary to reassure US allies and partners in the region," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details of the military deployment, citing the Associated Press December 29.

The United States and Western allies have seen Russia's troop buildup near its border with Ukraine to around 100.000, stoking fears that Moscow is preparing to attack its neighbor.

Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and shortly thereafter provided its support behind a separatist insurgency in the country's east.

For more than seven years, fighting has killed more than 14.000 people and shattered Ukraine's industrial heartland, known as the Donbas.

Meanwhile, Russia has denied any intention of launching a new invasion and instead accused Ukraine of hatching a plot to try to use force to retake control of territory held by Moscow-backed rebels. Ukraine itself also denies that claim.

To note, Truman's strike group included five US ships, consisting of the cruiser USS San Jacinto and guided-missile destroyers USS Cole, USS Bainbridge, USS Gravely, and USS Jason Dunham. Also with them was the Royal Norwegian Navy frigate HNoMS Fridtjof Nansen.

The aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) left its homeport of Norfolk, Virginia, on December 1, and entered the Mediterranean Sea on December 14. Originally, the carrier was scheduled to continue its voyage to the Gulf region.