SIMFEROPOL, August 29. /TASS/. The Russian Black Sea Fleet’s Marines have practiced landing helicopter assault in Crimea and elimination of a hypothetical enemy in a large-scale exercise at the proving ground Opuk in Crimea, the fleet’s press-service said in a news release on Friday.

Under the scenario of the exercise Black Sea Fleet’s Marines were tasked to seize a stronghold with support from naval ships and naval and frontline aviation of the Southern Military District and proceed with an offensive into a hypothetical enemy’s rear.

Taking part in the exercise were ten naval and supply ships of the Black Sea Fleet, including the frigates The Admiral Grigorovich and The Admiral Makarov, missile-carrying ship The Mirazh, patrol ship The Dmitry Rogachyov, amphibious assault ships and minesweepers, as well as more than one thousand troops, 20 aircraft and 100 military vehicles on the ground.

"The Marines displayed great skill and creative approach, unexpected for the enemy, to build up forces along different lines of attack from the coast and from the air, which enabled them to promptly seize a strip of land and proceed with the offensive," the news release said.

Mi-8 helicopters brought mobile assault groups to designated sights in the enemy’s rear, while naval forces and aircraft provided support for the Marines by suppressing enemy’s defenses and attacking targets on the coast with missiles, artillery fire and airdrop bombs on the coast.

The Black Sea Fleet’s drills were conducted in accordance with the general scenario of the command and staff exercises under the commander of the Southern Military District, underway on August 26-31 at twelve naval and aviation proving grounds in the Rostov, Volgograd, Astrakhan, Stavropol and Krasnodar regions and the Republic of Crimea and the North Caucasus. More than 8,000 troops are involved.