ASHULUK, August 20. /ITAR-TASS/. S-400 air defense systems destroyed three simulated enemy ballistic missiles during military maneuvres in the southern Astrakhan Region on Wednesday, the Commander of the Air and Aerospace Defense Troops, Major General Andrei Demin said.

The purpose of the exercises is to practice skills in responding to massive missile and air attacks, the Defense Ministry spokesperson, Colonel Igor Klimov said.

“S-300 and S-400 systems will launch about 20 missiles today in response to a massive missile and air strike by a hypothetical enemy and destroy high-altitude and low-altitude ballistic targets,” Klimov said, adding that the exercises would imitate a real combat environment involving the use by an imaginary enemy of the full range of aerial assault systems.

About 800 members of the Aerospace Defense Troops and more than 200 pieces of hardware take part in the exercises.