Russia begins exercises of air-defense forces in annexed Crimea
An anti-aircraft missile regiment of the Army Corps of the Russian Black Sea Fleet has started military exercises near the Kacha airdrome in the annexed Crimea, as reported by the head of the Information Support Department of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, Vyacheslav Trukhachev.
“The main goal of the combat training activities is to work on the squad and battery cohesion of the regiment in defending important infrastructure facilities from hypothetical enemy air attacks. Firing exercises using electronic pull-offs are also planned,” Novosti Kryma quotes Trukhachev as saying.
According to him, both AN-26 and Be-12 defensive aircraft and naval helicopters from the Russian Black Fleet are involved in training combat squads every day. Over 300 servicemen and about 30 units of military equipment are involved in the field training exercises.
In 2018, near Cape Fiolent in Sevastopol, S-400 Triumph anti-aircraft defense systems were put on alert.
Since the annexation of the Crimea in 2014, Russia conducts regular military exercises on the peninsula. The General staff of Ukraine calls the actions of Russian servicemen in the Crimea illegal.