KALININGRAD, August 12. /TASS/. The Baltic Fleet forces completed their participation in the Russian Navy’s Oceanic Shield-2020 maneuvers that ran at naval ranges of the Baltic and North seas, the Fleet’s press office reported on Wednesday.
"In the course of several days, the Fleet’s ships integrated into several tactical groups accomplished a large set of designated combat training assignments at the Baltic Fleet’s naval ranges and also in various areas of the North Sea," the press office said in a statement.
The naval maneuvers involved over 20 Baltic Fleet ships and support vessels: Project 20380 corvettes, amphibious assault ships, small missile ships, missile boats and other craft, the statement says.
During the Oceanic Shield-2020 drills, the Fleet’s forces practiced anti-submarine warfare and air defense, mine countermeasures and anti-saboteur operations and held artillery firings of various complexity against air and sea targets. Aircraft and helicopters of the Fleet’s naval aviation provided support for the ships in accomplishing combat training missions, according to the statement.
At the Khmelyovka training range on the Baltic coast near Kaliningrad, the Baltic Fleet carried out a large-scale operation of its multi-service grouping to land an amphibious assault force. The operation involved up to 20 surface ships, support vessels and boats, 18 aircraft and helicopters of the Baltic Fleet’s naval aviation, over 30 items of combat hardware of marine infantry and engineering units and also up to 2,000 personnel.
"After accomplishing the assignments under the plan of the Oceanic Shield-2020 drills, the ships are returning to their permanent bases and switching to their planned combat training," the press office said.
The Oceanic Shield-2020 drills ran in the Baltic Sea under the command of Russian Navy Commander-in-Chief Admiral Nikolai Yevmenov. The naval maneuvers involved over 30 warships of various classes, naval aviation, coastal defense troops, air defense forces and marine infantry.
During the drills, the naval forces conducted launches of attack and anti-aircraft missiles and held artillery firings.