Russian Black Sea and Baltic fleets are involved in massive Navy drills running at their naval bases, the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation’s press office reported on Thursday.
On 3 December, all of the Black Sea Fleet ships have kicked off drills at sea or naval bases to practice naval battles and emergency clean-up efforts, the Fleet’s press office reported on Thursday.
“A part of the ships is staying at combat training naval ranges and holding comprehensive shipborne drills for conducting a naval battle, air and anti-saboteur defense, eliminating sea and coastal targets, defending a ship during its anchorage in an unsafe roadstead and carrying out maneuvering in various conditions,” the press office said in a statement.
“The other part of the Fleet’s forces is carrying out measures at naval bases where the sailors are practicing organizing everyday intra-ship activity, eliminating a notional fire or hull breaches as part of shipborne drills for ship damage control,” the statement reads.
The drills involve the entire stock of the Black Sea Fleet’s ships, including the frigates Admiral Makarov and Admiral Grigorovich, the guard ship Pytlivy, the patrol vessel Dmitry Rogachyov, the missile corvettes Orekhovo-Zuyevo and Ingushetia, and also large amphibious assault ships, small anti-submarine warfare ships, submarines, minesweepers and the Fleet’s auxiliary vessels, the press office specified.
Aircraft and helicopters of the Black Sea Fleet’s naval aviation and air defense forces are providing support for the ships’ deployment to the sea, it said.
Also, over 50 Baltic Fleet ships and support vessels are involved in drills running at their naval bases.
“The crews of the Fleet’s combat ships, boats and support vessels have begun shipboard drills at the places of the Baltic Fleet forces’ basing in Baltiysk and Kronshtadt to practice preparing for deployment to the sea, measures for ship damage control during the anchorage at a pier, and also ships’ anti-saboteur defense at naval bases,” the press office said in a statement.
The drills involve the entire stock of the Baltic Fleet’s ships: the crews of a destroyer, guard ships, corvettes, small missile ships and boats, amphibious assault vessels and craft, anti-submarine warfare ships and minesweepers and patrol boats, the statement says.
“At the next stage of combat training, the ships will head for the Fleet’s naval ranges to accomplish combat training assignments, employing armament in a changing operational and tactical environment,” the press office said.