Shoigu, Gerasimov to notify Putin about Crimea drills on Thursday - Peskov
MOSCOW. Feb 11 (Interfax) - Russian President Vladimir Putin will have a videoconference with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and General Staff Chief Valery Gerasimov, on Thursday, to hear their report on the ongoing exercises at the Opuk range in Crimea.
"The defense minister and the General Staff chief will present a video report on the ongoing exercises, and their results, from the Opuk range in Crimea," Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov has said.
In addition, Putin will chair an operative conference of permanent members of the Russian Security Council on Thursday.
The Russian Defense Ministry press service and information department said, on Wednesday, that formations of the Southern Military District and the Airborne Forces had begun the second stage of the surprise check of their combat readiness.
"In all, the final stage of the surprise check of combat readiness of the Southern Military District and the Airborne Forces ,will include over 20 tactical drills, held at 18 ranges of the Southern Military District," the ministry said.
Southern Military District troops and Airborne Forces units will spend the next two days practicing combat in combined-arms groups, which will operate on unfamiliar ground, marine and airborne ranges.
"The tactical exercises will be practicing counter-landing defense of the coastline, reconnaissance, tracking and destruction of illegal armed units," the report said.
Combat support units will practice engineering support to forces, and radiation, biological and chemical defense in the cleanup of accident aftermath at an industrial enterprise.
Logistics units will train provision of formations and military units, which will be operating far from their bases for a long period of time.
"The units will operate on unfamiliar ranges, and will encounter active resistance from simulated enemy sabotage and reconnaissance groups," the report said.