KRASNODAR, July 10. /TASS/. The crews of Su-30SM fighter jets and Su-24 bombers of the Black Sea Fleet’s naval aviation and air defense forces practiced mid-air refueling over Crimea in drills, the Fleet’s press office reported on Friday.

"The crews of Su-30SM multi-purpose fighters and Su-24 frontline bombers from the Black Sea Fleet’s naval aviation and air defense forces practiced mid-air refueling from an aerial refueling tanker as part of tactical flight drills. The distance between the aircraft during the mid-air refueling did not exceed 10-12 meters," the press office said in a statement.

The drills were held in the skies over Crimea, with an Il-78 plane performing the role of an aerial refueling tanker. The aircraft conducted mid-air refueling alternately within permissible minimum and maximum altitude boundaries, the statement says.

"Each pilot who operates a plane with a mid-air refueling system should have a command of this training element. This considerably increases the flight range, the tactical radius of operations and the possibilities of accomplishing assigned missions," the press office said.