Moscow. September 20. INTERFAX-The Russian military has launched major exercises in the south against the background of maneuvers launched in Ukraine with the participation of NATO contingents.
About 10 thousand Russian servicemen are involved in the exercises, which began at training grounds in the Rostov region, Chechnya, Crimea and South Ossetia, the Southern Military District (SE) said on Monday.
"About 10 thousand servicemen take part in the exercises on the territory of the Southern Military District, about 800 units of weapons and equipment are involved, including tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, artillery guns and multiple rocket launchers. For the purpose of interspecific interaction, more than 40 aircraft and helicopters of army and tactical aviation have been attracted from the association of the Air Force and air Defense of the Southern Military District, " the press service of the Southern Military District said.
Battalion and regimental tactical exercises in the Southern Military District will last until September 26, the district said.
The press service of the Russian Black Sea Fleet on Monday reported that about 20 ships and support vessels went to sea from their bases in Sevastopol and Novorossiysk to conduct exercises with missile and artillery firing.
"The event involves missile, anti-submarine ships, submarines, fleet minesweeping forces, auxiliary and rescue vessels, aircraft and helicopters," the report says.
According to the fleet, in the naval training grounds, the crews of the ships will perform rocket and artillery firing as part of heterogeneous tactical groups, conduct a complex of exercises on conducting a naval battle, searching and destroying a submarine, detecting and striking a coastal command post, as well as repelling an attack by means of an air attack of a conditional enemy.
Earlier on Monday, the press service of the Black Sea Fleet reported that the Pantsir-S anti-aircraft missile and gun systems worked out the destruction of cruise missiles during an exercise on the Kerch Peninsula (eastern part of Crimea).
At the same time, the Ukrainian-American Rapid Trident-2021 exercises started in the Lviv region of Ukraine on Monday, the Ministry of Defense of this country reported. The exercises will last from September 20 to October 1. About 6 thousand servicemen will take part in them.
The opening ceremony of the maneuvers was attended by representatives of the armed forces of the United States and partner countries. Servicemen of 13 other countries, in particular, Great Britain, Canada, Germany, Turkey and Poland, are taking part in the Ukrainian-American exercises. In addition, the personnel of the Lithuanian-Polish-Ukrainian brigade were involved in the maneuvers.
