These images show NATO battleships sailing in formation in the Mediterranean, with US and NATO officials saying they were shadowed by Russian forces as the prospect of Russia going to war with the Ukraine looms.

The footage, which was shared online by the US Navy yesterday (Thursday, 3rd February), was shot from a helicopter and it shows North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) military vessels sailing in formation in the Mediterranean, with fighter planes visible in the skies above them, also in formation.

The US Navy said: “NATO ships sail In formation in support of Neptune Strike 2022, Feb. 2, 2022. Neptune Strike 2022 highlights the natural evolution of NATO’s ability to integrate the high-end maritime warfare capabilities of a carrier strike group to support the defense of the Alliance.”

The vessels, belonging to countries that are part of the North Atlantic Alliance, were also reportedly shadowed by the Russian military.

US and NATO officials have reportedly said that the Russian military has been shadowing US ships participating in the multinational exercise.

And Lieutenant Commander Karl Schonberg, of the US 6th Fleet, reportedly said that US vessels are regularly shadowed by Russian forces in the Mediterranean due to the constrained waterways present in the Black Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Adriatic.

The formation exercise was reportedly a tribute to the Neptune Strike 2022 exercise that ends today (Friday). NATO officials said it was a “vigilance activity” that “reflects routine deterrence activities aimed at ensuring peace and stability”.

The exercise, which ran from 31st January to 3rd February in the central Mediterranean Sea, is “the execution phase of a long series of activities known as Project Neptune, conceptualized in 2020”, NATO said in a statement obtained by Newsflash. NATO said that the exercise was geared towards “overcoming the complexities of integrating command and control of a carrier strike group to NATO”.

The Commander of the Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM), Vice Admiral Keith Blount, said: “This long-planned training evolution will improve interoperability of U.S. carrier strike groups, U.S. Sixth Fleet, STRIKFORNATO and the wider Alliance.”

He added: “This activity prepares both NATO and the CSGs to better integrate and enables multiple and unique theatre-wide training opportunities across the Alliance.”

NATO said that the exercise was an “opportunity for NATO Allies and partners to train together to refine tactics, techniques and procedures increasing interoperability and capacity across the maritime domain”.

The exercise and revelations that the Russians were allegedly shadowing it come amid heightened tensions between NATO and Russia over the Ukraine.

The United States has claimed that Moscow is planning to fabricate an attack by Ukrainian forces in a false flag operation designed to green-light its invasion of the country. Moscow has strenuously denied the allegations.