MOSCOW, May 4. /TASS/. Russia’s airborne troops, coastal forces of the Navy and ground troops last winter held one-third more exercises than in the same period last year, Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu said on Wednesday.
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"Ground forces, coastal units of the Navy and paratroops conducted about 1,300 command staff, tactical and special tactical exercises - 35% of all practical drills due this year," Shoigu said in a distance conference at the Defense Ministry, adding that it was more than a third more than in the same period last year.
More than 3,000 crews have been trained for combat operations round the clock in bad weather. Since the beginning of the training season they have spent more than 120,000 hours in the air.
The Navy has ensured the combat readiness of about 240 crews of surface ships and submarines, which have remained for more than 5,000 days on the high seas. Paratroops carried out 78,000 parachute jumps, some of them near the North Pole.