MOSCOW, September 30. /ITAR-TASS/. A surface to-air-missile regiment of the 4th Air and Air Defense Forces Command, Southern Military District, equipped with S-400 Triumf and Pantsir-S air defense and air missile gun systems took up combat alert duty of air defense facilities in  Russia's southern Krasnodar Territory, the Southern Military District press service told ITAR-TASS on Tuesday.

“In early September the S-400 Triumf systems arrived at permanent bases from the Ashuluk firing range [Astrakhan Region] where the regiment’s crews conducted the exercises firing these systems and hit high speed aerial targets, imitating the ballistic, low-altitude and tactical ones, with high precision,” the press service said.

The key task of the surface to-air-missile regiment is air defense of the country’s southern air boundaries, and cover of industrial and energy facilities, groupings of the Armed Forces and transportation services from space-air attackers, the press service said.

S-400 Triumf air defense systems in Russia's Southern Military District

S-400 Triumf air defense systems were put on combat duty in Russia's Southern Military District in late 2012 to replace S-300PM missiles.

Supplies of new air defense systems to the 4th Air Force and Air Defense Command in the District began in 2009. Since then, more than 60 pieces of new military hardware have been delivered and put into service.

The Triumf system is twice as effective as the previous systems. It can attack 10 targets with up to 20 missiles. The S-400 uses 3 different missiles to cover its entire performance envelope.

The Russian Ministry of Defense said that the S-400 was intended for the Russian Armed Forces only and would not be exported to other countries.