ASTRAKHAN. Aug 1 (Interfax-AVN) - The State Naval Rescue Service under the Russian Transportation Ministry will hold a comprehensive specialist exercise in the framework of the Caspian Flotilla's training voyage that starts on Thursday.
"Participants in the exercise will practice search and rescue of people in the sea, provision of aid to a ship and distress and taking of urgent measures to liquidate an oil spill," a spokesman for the ministry's operations group told Interfax-Military News Agency.
"The exercise will involve forces of the North Caspian sea steamship line, including the Kapitan Bukayev icebreaker, MI-8 Hip helicopters with rescue teams, units of the Astrakhan and Makhachkala airports, and specialist medical aid brigades of the Center of Medicine of Catastrophes and central hospital of the lower Volga basin," the spokesman said.
"The scenario of the training envisages use of aviation in the search for a vessel in distress that was damaged by a terrorist attack in the Caspian Sea, deployment of search and rescue forces and notification of vessels staying in the area on the vessel in distress," the spokesman said.
Participants in the exercise will evacuate the crew and passengers from the sea surface and provide medical aid to affected people. After that, they will localize a fire on board the vessel and take measures to tow it to a sea port.
According to Russian officials, the training voyage aims to ensure protection of the nation's interests, combat terrorism in all its manifestations, prevent and eliminate consequences of environmental disasters, accomplish sea rescue missions and prevention of drug smuggling into the area. Warships will be supported by dozens of auxiliary vessels from other departments, including the Federal Border Guard Service, Emergencies Ministry and customs department. Air Force and Air Defense units as well as the Black Sea Fleet aviation will take part in the exercise, too.
Caspian Flotilla Commander Vice Admiral Vladimir Masorin will be in command of the war games. Preparations for and conduction of the exercise will be supervised by Navy Commander- in-Chief Vladimir Kuroyedov.
Personnel and hardware of Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan will take part in the training.
Russia will be represented at the war games by 10,500 people, 60 vessels and more than 30 aircraft.