Ukraine will hold large-scale air defense exercises this year
The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces has planned to conduct large-scale exercises with live firing of Buk and S-300 air defense systems.
This was reported on the General Staff‘s Facebook page.
"Today, anti-aircraft missile forces are the main force for deterring the enemy from the air. In 2016, after a long break, the S-300P has started shooting once more. Plans for 2017 are even more ambitious," said the report.
It is noted that increased attention will be paid to combat shooting this year.
"More specifically, we are planning to carry out more large-scale events than last year. This mainly involves the firing of the Buk-M1 combined antiaircraft missile regiment and the S-300P air defense missile battalions... The S-300 division will be called to an area where combat missions are performed, with regular armament and military equipment. Of course, the situation will be more than realistic. And that is the main task,” said Major General Dmitry Karpenko, head of the Ukrainian air defense missile forces.
Last December, Ukraine conducted exercises over the Black Sea that included testing of medium-range anti-aircraft missiles, in defiance of Russia's threats to strike at Ukrainian launchers.