MOSCOW, June 24. /TASS/. Russian Tu-95 and Tu-22M3 long-range bombers jointly with the Russian Pacific Fleet warships have drilled the skills of delivering strikes at critical facilities of a maneuver enemy during exercises in the Pacific Ocean, the Russian defense ministry said on Thursday.

According to the ministry, the warplanes took off from an airfield on the Kamchatka Peninsula and headed to the central Pacific. "Three Tu-95 bombers of the Russian aerospace forces <…> simulated the launch of cruise missiles at designated targets," the ministry said. "Apart from that, Tu-22M3 long-range bombers drilled the skills of patrolling and hitting aircraft of the maneuver enemy."

The drills involved the Varyag guided missile cruiser and the Marshal Shaposhnikov frigate.

The long-range bombers were escorted by the MiG-31BM fighter jects of the Pacific Fleet. "After the exercise, the Tu-95 bombers carried out refueling from two Il-78 tanker planes over the Pacific and safely returned to their home airfield," the ministry added.