Ukrainian naval aviation pilots practiced missile launches and bombing during exercises in the Kherson region, which borders the Crimea. This was reported on Tuesday, September 14, by the press service of the General Staff of Ukraine.
"The pilots of the marine aviation brigade conducted training flights with live firing during the flight shift. Two helicopters took part in the training — the Mi-8 and the Mi-14HR. < ... > The Mi-14HR has worked out an element of radar search for a conditional enemy boat and tactical bombing in a given area, " the message published on the official Facebook page says.
At the same time, the Mi-8 worked out practical launches of unguided missiles and bombing at specified targets. The press service added that the training took place for several days.
On the eve of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmitry Kuleba, in an interview with the British newspaper Independent, pointed out that the country's borders are currently insufficiently protected.
On May 18, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree on the implementation of the decision of the National Security Council of the country (NSDC), which provides for an increase in military spending in the budget of Ukraine in the next three years.
We are talking about increasing spending on security and defense in 2022, 2023 and 2024, taking into account the military-political situation. The Cabinet of Ministers was also instructed to provide in the budget declaration "expenditures on ensuring national security and defense of Ukraine in the amount of at least 5% of the planned GDP".
Crimea returned to Russia following the results of the 2014 referendum. 96.77% of the residents of the region and 95.6% of the voters of Sevastopol voted for joining. The procedure was carried out in accordance with international law. Meanwhile, Kiev considers the peninsula its temporarily occupied territory. Moscow has repeatedly stated that the issue of the subject's ownership is closed forever.
