Russia conducts military exercises in annexed Crimea
Marines from the Black Sea Fleet subdivision with cover provided by army aviation from the Southern Military District disembarked on an unequipped stretch of the coast using large landing ships Orsk and Azov, as stated on the website of the Russian Ministry of Defense.
While disembarking the marines used a non-standard approach with militray forces coming from various directions, both from the water and air, that allowed them to seize a foothold and equip a fortified area.
More than 200 specialized military units of equipment were used during the exercise. This included self-propelled artillery SAU Nona-s, self-propelled howitzer Gvozdika, armored personnel carrier BTR-82A, MT-LB multipurpose armored vehicle, mortars Podnos and Sani, alligator attack helicopters Mi-35 and Ka-52, and Mi-8 AMTSh transport helicopters. In September, the Russian Black Sea Fleet servicemen conducted exercises on “searches for sabotage and reconnaissance groups.”
After the annexation of the Crimea in 2014, Russia regularly holds military exercises on the peninsula. The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces calls the actions of the Russian military illegal.