Russian military and fighter jets put on alert in the Crimea
The Russian Southern Military district’s air defense divisions were put on “practice alert,” according to the press-service of the Russian Ministry of Defense. The ministry reported on November 20 that the air defense command of the 4th Army of the Russian Air Force and anti-air defense forces of the Southern Military District in the Crimea practiced changing positions during the exercise.
“As part of the operational readiness drills, combat squads of S-400 Triumf air defense systems carried out search-and-destroy drills of hypothetical targets. Then, anti-aircraft forces quickly changed their launch positions, rolling up the systems and redeploying them in the reserve area,” the statement reads. Russian Su-27 SM fighter jets also scrambled when the exercise bagan.
In January this year, at Cape Fiolent, Russian S-400 Triumf anti-aircraft systems were put on alert. In September the same complexes were deployed in Yevpatoria.
After the annexation of the Crimea in 2014, Russia has held regular military exercises on the peninsula. The General Staff of Ukraine calls the Russia’s actions in the annexed Crimea illegal.