MOSCOW. Oct 19 (Interfax) - Units of the Russian Black Sea Fleet and Southern Military District have held a coast defense exercise on Crimea's Opuk training range, the fleet said in a statement.
"Black Sea Fleet marines covered by aviation and the fleet's ships landed from large landing ship on BTR-82A armored personnel carriers as part of the exercise. They fought for the landing, took a portion of the coast and advanced into the mock enemy's positions," the statement said.
The Black Sea Fleet's coast defense units, as well as tank, artillery and motorized infantry units of the combined-arms army of the Southern Military District used missile and artillery systems to suppress ship artillery and attack the landing party, it said.
"Then the coast defense artillery continued to fire at landing ships of the landing enemy. A tactical aviation unit consisting of Sukhoi Su-34 aircraft attached to the defending forces attacked naval targets," the statement said.
The exercise is taking place as part of the 2021 control check of the Southern Military District under the supervision of Southern Military District Commander Alexander Dvornikov.
The exercise involves about 8,000 troops, about 350 weapons and pieces of equipment of the Southern Military District, Black Sea Fleet and Caspian Flotilla.