Warships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet and the Caspian Flotilla are giving the support to the troops of the North Caucasus military district on the Caucasian coast during the Caucasus-2008 exercises, Assistant Commander of the North Caucasus military district Lieutenant-Colonel Andrei Bobrun told Itar-Tass on Wednesday according to Itar-Tass.
“Warships that put out in the high seas from the Novorossiisk Naval Base of the Russian Black Sea Fleet will train artillery shooting at sea, land and air targets and will practice the prevention of piracy, poaching and contraband at the sea,” he said. “On Thursday during a training operation marines with armored vehicles will land on the coast in a mock area of combat actions. Warships headed by Commander of the Novorossiisk Naval Base Vice-Admiral Sergei Menyailo will give the fire support to the landing party,” Bobrun said.
Bobrun recalled that marines landed from warships of the Caspian Flotilla on the Caspian coast with the support from the troops of the North Caucasus military district. During a special anti-terrorist operation a marine unit landed from the motorboats with the fire support of warships at a firing ground near Makhachkala. Assistant Commander of the Caspian Flotilla Capt. Oleg Zhuravlev was in command of the foresaid operation. On Thursday, marines will hold tactical exercises with live fire training at the firing ground. “Marines are to block and destroy bandits during their attempted landing in order to deploy their terrorist training camps on the coastline,” the assistant commander said.