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Russia’s Black Sea Fleet coastal defense troops holding live-fire drills in Crimea

The drills involve about 1,000 troops and around 50 armored vehicles

BTR-82A armored personnel carrier Sergei Malgavko/TASS

BTR-82A armored personnel carrier

© Sergei Malgavko/TASS

SEVASTOPOL, June 10. /TASS/. The Russian Black Sea Fleet’s coastal defense troops are holding live-fire drills at Crimean practice ranges with the use of the armor, the Fleet’s press office reported on Monday.

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"Units of a marine infantry brigade and a separate coastal defense brigade of the Black Sea Fleet’s army corps are conducting field exercises at Crimean combat training ranges. In field conditions, the personnel are practicing gunnery exercises and the skills of driving T-72B3 tanks and BTR-82A armored personnel carriers and also other combat training measures with the delivery of live-fire from small arms and military hardware," the press office said.

The troops are delivering live-fire against targets using all types of small arms and anti-tank systems. The gunners of tanks and armored personnel carriers are holding drills on the move and on the spot to reconnoiter targets and adjust fire from guns and machine-guns. Armored vehicles’ drivers are practicing the skills of driving and negotiating various obstacles during their drills in cross-country terrain, the press office said.

As the Fleet’s press office specified for TASS, the drills involve about 1,000 troops and around 50 armored vehicles.

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