Russia begins command and staff exercises of the Black Sea Fleet
On Wednesday September 6, the military and supply vessels of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet went out to sea to work on ship group control tasks as part of planned command and staff exercises.
According to the press service of the Southern Military District of Russia’s Defense Ministry, during the first stage of the drills the soldiers practiced navigating ships behind mine-clearing equipment.
“At the fleet’s combat training facilities, they are operating the frigate ‘Admiral Grigorovich’, the patrol vessel ‘Pytlivy’, the small anti-submarine ship ‘Suzdalets’, the naval minesweeper ‘Kovrovets’, an anti-sabotage boat and submarines,” the report states.
The press service reported that the exercises will involve the Novorossiysk and Crimean naval bases, planes and helicopters from the naval aviation fleet, as well as divisions of the coastal missile regiment.
The day before, on September 5, the Russian artillerists and missileers began drills at the training facilities in annexed Crimea and in regions belonging to Russia’s Southern Military District.
Earlier, the General Staff of Ukraine said that the military exercises being held in annexed Crimea are illegal.