YEKATERINBURG, February 1. /TASS/. The crews of Mi-24 gunships and Mi-8 military transport helicopters of Russia’s Central Military District will practice night maneuvering at low and ultra-low altitudes during drills that have kicked off at four airfields in three Russian regions, the District’s press office reported on Monday.

"During the night exercise at military aerodromes in the Sverdlovsk, Chelyabinsk and Novosibirsk Regions, over 100 military pilots will practice combat training tasks to reconnoiter the areas of a notional enemy’s location, maneuvering at low and ultra-low altitudes and also take-offs and landings at snow-covered unprepared sites in the flat and forested terrain," the press office said in a statement.

The pilots will operate the combat helicopters using GEO-ONV-1 night vision goggles as special onboard equipment. The drills will also practice landing tactical airborne groups without parachutes, the statement says.

The drills will end in the second half of February. During this time, the crews will practice over 20 tactical episodes that will involve more than 30 Mi-24 gunships and Mi-8 military transport helicopters, over 500 flight and ground personnel and flight control teams.