Moscow. February 18. INTERFAX - Russian Su-24 bombers based in Crimea have conducted exercises to relocate to replacement airfields in other regions of the Russian Federation, said the official representative of the Black Sea Fleet Alexei Rulev.
"During the exercise, 10 Su-24 aircraft were relocated from airfields stationed in Crimea to spare ones located on the territory of other subjects of the Russian Federation," Rulev told reporters on Friday.
According to him, the training on the withdrawal of forces from the attack of a conditional enemy was carried out as part of exercises of naval forces, naval aviation and units of coastal troops of the Black Sea Fleet under the leadership of Fleet Commander Admiral Igor Osipov.
"The crews of the aircraft, having shown non-standard approaches in solving the problem of withdrawing forces from the enemy's attack, carried out relocation to alternate airfields in a time significantly less than the established standards," the official representative of the Black Sea Fleet stressed.
Earlier on Friday, the fleet announced that the missile cruiser Moskva was conducting artillery firing on air and sea targets during exercises in the Black Sea. According to the plan of the exercise, artillery complexes were used to repel an air attack by an "enemy" who was trying to launch a missile strike at the bases of the fleet forces.
The maneuvers are taking place against the backdrop of a crisis in relations between Russia and NATO. The United States, other NATO countries and Ukraine announced the concentration of Russian troops near the Ukrainian border and the threat of a Russian invasion.
Moscow has repeatedly stated that Russia has no aggressive plans against Ukraine.
On February 12, the Russian military reported that maneuvers involving more than 30 ships, aircraft and coastal troops had begun in the Black Sea.
It was reported that Russia declared two areas of the Black Sea and one in the Sea of Azov closed to navigation for the period from February 13 to 19 for exercises. On February 11, Kiev reported that Russia had canceled the closure of the Azov Sea.
