Russian Fleet’s warships completed large-scale drills in the Black Sea
Drills in communications, ship damage control, air defense, and anti-submarine warfare were held, among other things.
The Russian head of the Information Support Department of the Black Sea Fleet Command Alexei Rolyov stated that “naval groups of the Black Sea Fleet’s combat ships returned to their home bases on the Crimean Peninsula and in Novorossiysk following large-scale drills in the Black Sea”.
Rolyov told reporters that “the crews of warships operating as part of combined arms and specific-type tactical groups accomplished combat training tasks of engaging in a sea battle and holding artillery fire against the targets simulating the hypothetical enemy’s warships and air attack weapons.”
Furthermore, the warships' crews have also conducted communications, ship damage control, air defense, and anti-submarine warfare drills most notably an anti-sabotage defense exercise for ships.
It is worth mentioning that over 20 combat ships of various classes participated in the Black Sea Fleet's scheduled maneuvers, including frigates, guard ships, missile corvettes, and missile boats, amphibious assault ships, small anti-submarine warfare ships, and mine countermeasure ships, the Fleet’s press office specified in a statement.
Russian drills in parallel with rising tensions
It is noteworthy that on January 22, Russia carried out exercises to repel an attack by a hypothetical enemy sabotage group on a sensitive facility of the military corps of the Baltic Fleet.
The Military Corps of the Baltic Fleet issued a statement saying, "According to the scenario of the exercise, the hypothetical enemy attempted to enter the facility to seize it. The soldiers of the duty unit conducted reconnaissance and isolated the hypothetical enemy sabotage group until the arrival of additional reinforcements."
These exercises are part of a series of military exercises carried out by various Russian Armed Forces units in different military regions, especially in the west of the country, in parallel with the continuing tension in relations between Russia and NATO, mainly on the borders with Ukraine and Belarus.