SEVASTOPOL, April 19. /TASS/. The Black Sea Fleet’s marine corps stationed in Crimea and the Krasnodar Region embarked military hardware and personnel on the Fleet’s large amphibious assault ships in a final combat readiness check after the winter training period, the Fleet’s press office reported on Monday.

"At the initial stage of the exercise, the marine infantry formed combat hardware convoys and made marches to the areas of embarking on the large amphibious assault ships Tsezar Kunikov, Azov and Saratov. Upon embarking on the large amphibious assault ships, the personnel complied with the embarkation time limits, following which the ships deployed to the sea and formed a naval group at sea," the press office said in a statement.

At the next stage of the drills, the combat teams of the large amphibious assault ships will deliver artillery fire against a notional enemy’s coastal targets that will precede a seaborne assault on the shore of a Black Sea Fleet combat training range, the statement says.

"The exercise is running in accordance with a plan of control inspection of the Black Sea Fleet’s forces for the winter training period under the single tactical design of the final check of the Southern Military District’s troops," the press office said.