Over 10 Russian ships to launch naval drill in Baltic sea

Over 10 Baltic Fleet ships have deployed to the Baltic Sea for tactical drills with a live-fire exercise, the Fleet’s press office reported.

“The naval strike and mine-sweeping groups made up of the missile corvettes Sovetsk, Odintsovo, Zelyony Dol and Geizer, the missile boats Morshansk and Dimitrovgrad, the minesweepers Alexander Obukhov, Leonid Sobolev and Viktor Sigalov, small anti-submarine warfare ships, amphibious assault boats and various support vessels are holding a series of drills at the Fleet’s combat training ranges in the Baltic Sea to practice mine countermeasures,” the press office said in a statement.

During the tactical maneuvers, the crews of the Russian naval ships will also practice hunting down and destroying a mock enemy sub, conduct electronic launches of missiles and thwart a massive airstrike, the press office added.

“Overall, the scheduled combat training exercise has brought together over 1,000 Baltic Fleet personnel and also the Fleet’s naval aircraft,” the statement says.

The Baltic naval drill comes as the West launches a major media maneuver after inking Moscow’s naval fleet (Moskva) in the Black Sea, claiming that the Russian navy is weak in its confrontation with Ukrainian forces.