MOSCOW, July 04. /ITAR-TASS/. Naval exercises of different forces of Russian Black Sea Fleet involving more than 20 warships and auxiliary ships, more than 20 warplanes and helicopter gunships, marines and coastal artillery gun force began on Friday. The drill area embraces the whole Black Sea maritime area, the press service of Russian Defense Ministry told ITAR-TASS on Friday.

“Different forces of the Black Sea Fleet started joint actions during planned tactical exercises with missile and artillery gunfire drills from surface warships on sea and air targets. At military exercises five cruise missiles Moskit and Malakhit were test-launched and hit the targets precisely, according to data recorders,” the ministry noted.

“Maritime aviation fulfilled several tasks drilling strikes on ships of an imaginary enemy. Warplanes Su-24 from the Russian Black Sea Fleet naval base have conducted fire drills on sea target position and practiced successfully bomb strikes on surface targets,” the press service added.

Black Sea Fleet naval exercises are being held strictly in compliance with international law, requirements of intergovernmental agreements to prevent sea incidents and dangerous military activity, he noted.

Naval exercises are drilling interoperability between warship formations, coastal units and aviation. The scenario of the drills envisages fulfilment of tasks to destroy groupings of warships of an imaginary enemy in the sea, ship-based air defense force and coastal facilities as well as search, detection and destruction of submarines of the enemy. Coastal troops and marines are drilling actions to combat tactical landing force and deck aviation, will conduct air reconnaissance and will deliver strikes on conventional enemy’s warships.

“All military formations, crews of warships, warplanes and helicopter gunships are acting in conditions maximally close to combat actions, commanders are improving skills of decision-making in a dynamically changing situation according to conditions to occur at naval exercises,” the press service said.

Black Sea Fleet Commander Admiral Alexander Vitko is in command of naval war games.

It was earlier reported that a grouping of NATO warships had entered the Black Sea to participate in international naval exercises Breeze-2014 off Bulgaria.