MOSCOW, February 12. /TASS/. An Iskander-M tactical missile system has successfully hit a ground training target at a distance of 300 km in a surprise combat readiness check of Russia’s Southern Military District, the Defense Ministry reported on Friday.

"A tactical missile of the Iskander-M system was live-fired in a surprise combat readiness check of troops in the Southern Military District at the Kapustin Yar practice range [in the Astrakhan region]," the Defense Ministry’s press office said.

"Combat teams successfully hit the ground training target at a distance of up to 300 km," the press office said.

The newly formed missile brigade of the 58th army of the Southern Military District was armed with Iskander-M tactical missile systems in November 2015, the ministry’s press office said.

Troops of the Southern Military District, some units of the Airborne Force and military transport aviation were alerted in a surprise combat readiness check on Monday morning.

As Russia’s Defense Ministry has reported, the maneuvers involve up to 8,500 servicemen, 900 pieces of military hardware, 200 aircraft and helicopters and 50 surface ships. The manpower and military hardware of the Central Military District are also invovled in the drills.

Iskander tactical ballistic missile systems are capable of hitting both small-size and large-area targets at a distance of up to 500 km to destroy missile and multiple launch rocket systems, long-range artillery guns, aircraft and helicopters at aerodromes, command posts and communications centers.

The Iskander tactical ballistic missile complex includes a launcher, a loader-transporter, a routine maintenance vehicle, a command post vehicle, an information post, an ammunition equipment set and training aids.