SEVASTOPOL, August 29. /TASS/. Over 2,000 troops will land from the Black Sea Fleet’s warships onto the Crimean coast during tactical drills, the Fleet’s press office reported on Thursday.
"A total of 24 combat ships and support vessels, over 2,000 servicemen and about 150 weapon systems and aircraft of the Black Sea Fleet will be involved in the tactical exercise with units of the marine infantry and coastal defense large formation from the Fleet’s 22nd army corps," the press office said in a statement.
During the military exercise at the Opuk training range, the marines will land onto a notional enemy’s rough terrain from the sea with the support of a surface strike group and the Fleet’s aircraft and will seize a bridgehead to develop an offensive.
Meanwhile, an airborne tactical unit and obstacle-clearing groups will land from Ka-27PS helicopters to provide assistance to the amphibious assault force in breaching the coast’s defenses. They will have to suppress enemy fire pockets and disrupt the defenses, thus facilitating the advance of the basic landed force, the press office specified.
The drills will involve the frigates Admiral Grigorovich and Admiral Makarov, the missile corvettes Vyshny Volochyok and Mirazh, the patrol vessel Dmitry Rogachyov, large amphibious assault ships and boats, ocean minesweepers and small anti-submarine warfare ships, T-72B3 tanks, BTR-80 armored personnel carriers, Su-30SM fighter jets, Ka-27, Ka-52 and Mi-8 helicopters.