The
exercises are held in the new format in Crimea due to the "increased
terrorist threat".
OPUK RANGE/Crimea/, March 20. /TASS/. Drills involving three large units
of Russia’s Airborne Forces, Aerospace Forces and the Black Sea Fleet began in
Crimea’s Opuk firing range on Monday, Airborne Force Commander Colonel-General
Andrei Serdyukov said.
"For the first time in the Russian army’s history the Airborne Forces’ three large units were simultaneously alerted as part of the drills and partly redeployed to Crimea with weapons and equipment," said Serdyukov, who is in charge of the manoeuvres.
"For the first time in the Russian army’s history the Airborne Forces’ three large units were simultaneously alerted as part of the drills and partly redeployed to Crimea with weapons and equipment," said Serdyukov, who is in charge of the manoeuvres.
More than
2,500 paratroopers and some 600 pieces of equipment are involved in the drills.
Servicemen
from Novorossiysk, Kamyshinsk and Ulan Ude units, as well as the fourth army of
the Aerospace Forces and Air Defense Forces of the Southern military district
take part in the exercises.
During the
drills, the troops will train to conduct operations "as part of a group of
rapid reaction forces" against terrorists and regular forces of a
simulated enemy, Serdyukov said.
The
exercises are held in the new format in Crimea due to the "increased
terrorist threat and also a
broad range
of use of the Airborne Forces as rapid reaction forces to solve crises in
various regions of the world," he said.
The
servicemen will be tasked to take under control crucial facilities, practice
amphibious landing and airdrops, and also firing during the offensive and
defensive operations.
Source: ITAR-TASS 20-03-2017
