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About 20 Black Sea Fleet warships involved in drills off Crimea’s coast

Marine infantry involved over 40 BTR-82A armored personnel carriers to seize the sea coast. From the opposite side, the Crimean coast was defended by units of the Fleet’s army corps

ROSTOV-ON-DON, September 2. /TASS/. The Black Sea Fleet is holding force-on-force tactical drills with about 20 warships and over 20 aircraft and helicopters at the Opuk training range in Crimea as part of preparations for the Kavkaz-2020 strategic exercise, the press office of Russia’s Southern Military District reported on Wednesday.

The drills were observed by Southern Military District Commander Army General Alexander Dvornikov, the press office said.

"Southern Military District Commander Army General Alexander Dvornikov assessed the operations of the crews of large amphibious assault ships and marine infantry units of the Black Sea Fleet during the force-on-force tactical drills at the Opuk combined arms training range in Crimea. The drills involve about 20 warships and support vessels, around 200 items of military and special hardware and over 20 aircraft and helicopters of the Black Sea Fleet’s naval aviation," the statement says.

Marine infantry involved over 40 BTR-82A armored personnel carriers to seize the sea coast. From the opposite side, the Crimean coast was defended by units of the Fleet’s army corps, the press office specified.

The commander noted professional actions by officers of the integrated command post. "The command and control of the multiservice grouping of the Fleet’s forces, aircraft and coastal defense troops was ensured by the skillful employment of automated systems that help unite control posts of all formations and military units involved in the drills in a single network," the press office quoted Dvornikov as saying.

The commander also drew attention to the ability of tactical groups’ commanders to promptly control all attached formations of various branches of troops.

The force-on-force tactical drills are running at the Opuk combined arms practice range in Crimea as part of preparations for the Kavkaz-2020 strategic command and staff drills. The Crimean exercise will last until the end of the week.

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