US Navy commander: No real change in Russian military’s conduct toward Western warships in east Med

A US Navy commander said Wednesday there is "no significant change" in the conduct of Russian aircraft and warships toward Western naval and air assets in the eastern Mediterranean as Moscow's war in Ukraine grinds on.

Cmdr. Peter C. Flynn said that Russian warplanes and naval vessels have been conducting themselves professionally, like other military forces in the region, and there's been no indication of any heightened aggression or hostility.

"We obviously study what is going on in theater and you know that certainly plays a role in what we do and what we prepare for, but not a significant change" in the attitude of Russian forces, Flynn told The Associated Press aboard the USS Arleigh Burke.

The destroyer, one of the United States' most capable warships, is docked at Cyprus' main Limassol port.

Russia has a naval base in Tartus, Syria, the only such...