Russian naval strike force starts anti-terror drills in the Mediterranean

The Russian Black Sea Fleet’s advanced warships Serpukhov and Zelyony Dol armed with Kalibr cruise missiles have launched anti-terror drills in the east Mediterranean, TASS reports.

“The drills will check the ability of the fleet’s forces to operate in the conditions of resolving crisis situations of terrorist nature. The naval strike group comprising the small missile ships Serpukhov and Zelyony Dol will practice a number of assignments together with warships of the Russian Navy’s permanent grouping in the Mediterranean, including artillery and missile live-firing in the conditions maximally close to a real combat environment,” the Defense Ministry’s press office said in a statement.

The drills are being held pursuant to the plan of the Russian Navy’s combat training, the press office said.

The missile ships Serpukhov and Zelyony Dol will interact with the warships of the Russian Navy’s permanent Mediterranean grouping to practice setting up communications, assisting a ship damaged by a terrorists’ attack and intercepting a vessel with terrorists on its board. The small missile ships are expected to return to their home base in late August.

Also, drills with the participation of the warships Tatarstan, Grad Sviyazsk and Veliky Ustyug will be held in the southwestern portion of the Caspian Sea on August 15-20. These ships, which are also armed with Kalibr cruise missiles, took part in an operation to deliver strikes against militants in Syria in the autumn of 2015.