MOSCOW. March 17 (Interfax-AVN) - The Northern Fleet practiced a landing operation as part of a snap inspection of its combat readiness on Tuesday, the Russian Defense Ministry's press service reported.
"A combined company of a marine brigade completed a march from the waiting area to a site where it was to board a large amphibious assault ship, the Kondopoga, and started loading military hardware immediately," the press service said in a statement received by Interfax-AVN.
After the loading operation, the Kondopoga delivered troops to a designated area before landing on an unequipped shore. The place where the marines will land will be selected by the General Staff officers inspecting the Northern Fleet after the ship's departure.
The loading operation was of the contact type, where the ship approaches the coast closely and lowers the ramp along the coastline. This method is the safest and it significantly accelerates the loading operation.
The operation involved wheeled and fully-tracked vehicles in service with the Northern Fleet: BTR-80 armored personnel carriers and MTLB-B multirole light-armored towing trucks.