MOSCOW, July 6. /TASS/. The crews of Tu-95MS strategic bombers practiced night flights during drills of Russia’s long-range aviation, the Defense Ministry of Russia reported on Tuesday.

"The crews of Tu-95MS strategic missile-carrying bombers practiced night flights on the territory of the Engelsk long-range aviation formation in the Saratov Region as part of tactical flight drills. The flight personnel practiced interoperability with the flight control group in the nighttime amid limited visibility," the ministry said in a statement.

In the course of the drills, the personnel accomplished the tasks of sheltering aircraft, automotive and special hardware from a notional enemy’s strikes and notionally launching cruise missiles, the statement says.

"The exercise was held in accordance with the combat training plan. The airfield technical support battalion was assigned the task of preparing the aircraft for flights timely and qualitatively. Young pilots were involved in the flights," the press office specified.

The tactical flight exercise of the crews of Tu-160, Tu-95MS and Il-78 aircraft is running under the direction of Russia’s Long-Range Aviation Chief Lieutenant General Sergey Kobylash and will end on July 9.

The Tu-95MS strategic missile-carrying bomber is designated to accomplish the tasks of striking vital targets in remote military-geographical areas and deep in the rear of continental theaters of military operations, employing nuclear missile weapons. A modernized bomber is furnished with a new control system and hardpoints for Kh-101 missiles that have proven their efficiency in Syria.