USS Nitze can reach Crimea, the war zone in the Donbas, and the southern Russian regions, including the Krasnodar Territory and the Rostov Region, with missiles.

The American destroyer USS Nitze, equipped with Tomahawks, approached the entrance to the Bosphorus and anchored off the coast of Istanbul before a scheduled port call at the Gölcük Naval Base, the US 6th Fleet said on Twitter.

The last US warship left the Black Sea in December 2021 - on the eve of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, recalls USNI News. After that, in connection with the war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, Turkey blocked the Bosporus and Dardanelles for warships not assigned to the Black Sea ports.

The USS Nitze was escorting the USS George H.W. Bush's aircraft carrier strike group, which stopped near Istanbul near the Dolmbahce Palace.

In a statement, the US military said Nitze's visit "is an opportunity to further strengthen the long-standing and important US ties with Turkey" as a member of NATO.

Nitze's scheduled port call at the Gölcük Naval Base is the destroyer's third visit to the 6th Fleet's area of ​​operations since deploying in July 2022.

"Türkiye’s joint operations with the U.S. Navy in the Mediterranean Sea reinforce the power of the NATO Alliance and enhances interoperability. The Mediterranean is a critical waterway for maritime commerce and stability throughout Europe. The U.S. Navy routinely operates in this region in close coordination with our regional Allies and partners," - quotes the media message of the fleet.

Armed with nearly a hundred cruise missiles, the USS Nitze became the first US warship to enter the Black Sea region since the Russian invasion of Ukraine started.

USS Nitze can reach Crimea, the war zone in the Donbas, and the southern Russian regions, including the Krasnodar Territory and the Rostov Region, with missiles.