Fact check: There are no US Navy ships in the Black Sea, contrary to viral claim

Molly Stellino, USA TODAY
·3 min read
21

The claim: Russians are retreating from Ukraine after US Navy crosses the Turkish straits

A March 12 Facebook video (direct link, archived link) shows a compilation of footage of warships and military personnel.

“Even the Ukrainians shocked- US Navy finally crossed Turkish Straits! Russians are retreating!” reads the video’s caption.

The video was viewed more than 100,000 times in less than a month. The claim was also shared on YouTube.

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Our rating: False

No U.S. Navy ships have crossed the Turkish straits into the Black Sea, according to military spokespeople. And there are no credible reports of a Russian retreat as this claims; Russian forces are occupying several Ukrainian cities as of March 30, a report from the Institute for the Study of War shows.

No US Navy warships have crossed the Turkish straits, military confirms

The Turkish straits consist of three bodies of water – the Bosporus, the Dardanelles and the Sea of Marmara – that connect the Mediterranean Sea to the Black Sea, according to the Stockton Center for International Law. The straits play a key role in the war between Russia and Ukraine due to the proximity to both countries, Foreign Policy reported.

But no U.S. Navy ships have crossed the Turkish straits, Navy spokesperson Lt. Cmdr. James Adams told USA TODAY.

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And there are no U.S. Navy ships in the Black Sea, the body of water the Turkish straits provide access to, said Department of Defense spokesperson Lt. Col. Garron Garn.

Though the U.S. did sail a ship – the USS Nitze – in the Sea of Marmara in February, it did not cross the Bosphorus Strait into the Black Sea, the U.S. Naval Institute reported.

On Feb. 28, 2022, just days after Russia invaded Ukraine, Turkey closed access to the Black Sea through the straits for all countries, multiple news outlets reported. There are no credible reports Turkey has reversed its decision.

The 1936 Montreux Convention gives Turkey exclusive control of access to the Black Sea via the Mediterranean, a report from the Stockton Center for International Law states.

No evidence Russia is retreating from Ukraine

As of March 30, Russia still controlled many regions in eastern Ukraine, including Melitopol, Donetsk and Luhansk, according to an interactive map from the Institute for the Study of War.

A similar map maintained by the Center for Strategic and International Studies as well as news reports from outlets such as Reuters and the New York Times confirm the Russians are not retreating.

The video attached to the post provides no evidence to support the claim.

USA TODAY reached out to the social media users who shared the claim for comment.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: No, US ship did not cross Turkish straits into Black Sea