Putin Orders War Games in Black Sea

Vladimir Putin ordered surprise military exercises in the Black Sea today, in a move that could make neighboring Ukraine and Georgia a little uneasy, Reuters reports. Thirty-six warships and an unspecified number of warplanes will take part in the previously unannounced exercises, a Putin spokesman said. "The main goal is to check the readiness and cohesion of the various units," he said, adding that Russia had no obligation to warn nearby countries ahead of such maneuvers. Russia was also mum on how long the exercises would last. (More Vladimir Putin stories.)