MOSCOW, Russia, April 18 (NNN-ITAR TASS) – Russia’s Black Sea Fleet conducted a series of manoeuvres over the past few days, parallel to drills by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) naval forces in the region, the Russian Defence Ministry said.
It said, artillery units of the fleet held combat training, using drones, at a proving ground in Crimea. The drones were used for detecting targets and adjusting artillery fire.
The ministry said, earlier this week that, a naval strike group, together with coastal anti-ship missile systems and naval aviation aircraft, held exercises against a simulated enemy, composed of tactical groups and individual ships.
Drills were conducted on the Crimean Naval Base of the Black Sea Fleet, to ensure the safety of navigation and combat training of naval forces at sea, the ministry said.
Five NATO warships took part in an annual Romania-led naval exercises Sea Shield 2019 in the Black Sea, which ended on Saturday.
In response, four Russian Navy surface ships and a submarine participated in military drills in the Black Sea.
Civil and military cooperation between Russia and NATO has stopped, Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Alexander Grushko said.
The bloc has “gone too far” in forging confrontation with Russia, and it is not yet clear when and where sanity will prevail, he said.– NNN-ITAR TASS
