OPUK TRAINING RANGE (Crimea). March 22 (Interfax) - Russian airborne troops have held an exercise in Crimea, during which tactical personnel jumped from helicopter deep into the peninsula and proceeded to destroy a mock enemy's sabotage and reconnaissance groups, Col. Alexander Valitov, commander of the Kamyshin separate air assault brigade, told journalists on Tuesday.
"The third episode of the practical military-simulation stage which today is taking place at the Opuk training range was the landing from Mi-8 and Mi-26 helicopters of the tactical airborne personnel consisting of artillery and air assault units of the Kamyshin separate air assault brigade," Valitov said.
"The airdropping of paratroopers from the helicopters was carried out the air-assault way, i.e. with the machines hovering at a small altitude above ground," he said.
In all some 200 paratroopers were airdropped, Valitov said.
On landing the Kamyshin paratroopers operating on the Dzhankoi direction proceeded to execute the preset assignments of blocking and destroying sabotage and reconnaissance groups of a mock enemy and militant groups, as well as checking and inspecting light- and heavy-duty vehicles and certain individuals in border areas, the brigade commander said.