Black Sea Fleet kicks off large-scale anti-amphibious defense drills in Crimea

The Black Sea Fleet forces will hold live firings and practice the coast’s anti-amphibious defense in large-scale drills that kicked off in Crimea, the Fleet’s press office reported.

"Force-on-force brigade-level tactical drills began with units of the Black Sea Fleet’s army corps and marine infantry at the Opuk multi-service force training ground in Crimea," the press office said in a statement.

"At the first stage of the drills, the personnel of the coastal defense separate brigade went on high alert and made a march to the designated area to take up their positions, prepare and hold anti-amphibious defense of the coast," TASS cited the statement as saying.

The personnel of the Fleet’s separate marine infantry brigade are simulating the enemy in the drills. The troops advanced to the amassment areas and formed attacking groups. They will prepare and land amphibious and airborne assault forces, which have been assigned the task of seizing and holding an advantageous frontier, the press office said.

Coastal defense artillery forces and ships will hold artillery and missile firings during the drills while the troops will fire small arms, grenade launchers and the guns of combat vehicles, the statement says.

The maneuvers are part of preparations for the Kavkaz-2020 (Caucasus-2020) strategic command and staff drills. The exercise that will end on August 30 involves about 100 items of military and special hardware, including T-72B3 tanks, BTR-80 and BTR-82A armored personnel carriers, large amphibious assault ships and helicopters of the Black Sea Fleet’s naval aviation.