KIEV, Feb. 25 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook arrived at the Ukrainian southern Black Sea port of Odessa on Monday, the press service of the Ukrainian Naval Forces said on Facebook.
The three-day visit is carried out within the framework of the planned events under the Ukrainian-American bilateral cooperation, it said.
Meanwhile, the press service of the U.S. naval forces in Europe and Africa and the U.S. 6th Fleet tweeted that the visit is aimed at further strengthening the U.S.-Ukrainian partnership and supporting Ukraine.
Commissioned in 1998, USS Donald Cook was forward-deployed at Naval Station Rota, Spain. It conducts naval operations in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations in support of U.S. national security interests in Europe.
The vessel entered the Black Sea on Feb. 19 to "conduct maritime security operations and enhance regional maritime stability, combined readiness, and naval capability with our NATO allies and partners in the region," according to the U.S. Navy.
