The dock-landing vessel USS Fort McHenry transited the Dardanelles Strait en route to the Black Sea on Sunday, making it the first U.S. Navy ship to enter the tense region since Russia seized three Ukrainian vessels in November in the Kerch Strait.<\/span><\/p>\n Navy officials say the Fort McHenry is conducting a regularly scheduled Black Sea operation. This is the first Navy ship to enter the Black Sea since August, when the USS Carney, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, and the fast-transport vessel USNS Carson City worked separate missions there.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe routinely operate in the Black Sea consistent with international law and the Montreux Convention and will continue to do so,\u201d Cmdr. Kyle Raines, 6th Fleet spokesman, said. \u201cWe also continue our call for Ukraine and Russia to seek a diplomatic resolution to their dispute.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Officials wouldn\u2019t say when another ship might cruise into the Black Sea, citing the standard Navy policy of not discussing future operations.<\/span><\/p>\n #USSFortMcHenry<\/a> (LSD 43) & embarked elements of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), has begun its north-bound transit of the Dardanelles Strait, en route to the Black Sea #US6thFleet<\/a> #Power4Peace<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/jTqF64i8e1<\/a><\/p>\n — U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa\/U.S. 6th Fleet (@USNavyEurope) January 6, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n