SEVASTOPOL, July 4. /TASS/. The crews of S-400 long- and medium-range surface-to-air missile systems and Pantsyr medium-range missile/gun launchers practiced striking a notional enemy’s cruise missiles in Crimea drills amid NATO’s Sea Breeze naval maneuvers, the press office of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet reported on Thursday.

"The combat crews of S-400 ‘Triumf’ surface-to-air missile systems and ‘Pantsyr ‘air defense missile complexes from the Southern Military District’s Air Force and Air Defense Army held drills to search for and strike air targets. During the drills, the personnel practiced missions to detect, track and destroy a notional enemy’s cruise missiles," the press office said in a statement.

Notional cruise missiles were electronically simulated. Also, the notional missiles were assigned different flight speed and altitude parameters, which complicated the task for air defense crews to strike the targets, the statement says.

"The crews of ‘Triumf’ and ‘Pantsyr’ surface-to-air missile launchers successfully accomplished their assignment thanks to the specifics of radar systems, the functions of tracking targets, the combined missile/gun armament and the versatility of striking targets," the press office reported.

The drills involved about 100 personnel, around 30 S-400 missile systems and up to 10 Pantsyr launchers, the Black Sea Fleet specified for TASS.

The NATO warships are holding the Sea Breeze-2019 naval maneuvers in the Black Sea. This year, NATO’s maneuvers involve over 3,000 personnel from 19 countries, including the United States, Great Britain and Ukraine, according to the data provided by the Ukrainian embassy in the United States.

The drills kicked off on July 1 in the northwestern part of the Black Sea and are expected to last through July 12. The United States has played the leading role in preparing the drills and working out their scenario, according to the Ukrainian embassy’s data.

The S-400 ‘Triumf’ is the most advanced long-range air defense missile system that went into service in Russia in 2007. It is designed to destroy aircraft, cruise and ballistic missiles, including medium-range missiles, and can also be used against ground installations. The S-400 can engage targets at a distance of 400 km and at an altitude of up to 30 km.

The land-and sea-based Pantsyr-S1 air defense missile/gun system is designated to defend civil and military facilities against all modern and future air attack weapons in any weather and electronic warfare environment day and night. The system can also defend facilities against ground and naval threats.