Moscow, Oct 23 - 29 - September : Vladimir Putin and the Navy of Ukraine practised firing by the Russians off the coast of annexed Crimea using its Bastion coastal missile defence system, said the Defence Ministry on Thursday as Ukraine held joint military drills with the United States.
The exercises in Ukraine involving U.S. and other NATO troops are expected to run until Oct. 1. They follow massive war games which earlier this month was staged by neighbouring Russia and Belarus that alarmed the West. Kiev's relations with Russia rose drastically in 2014 when Russia annexed the Donbass region from Ukraine and backed pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine. The seven-year conflict with separatists has killed more than 13,000 people.
Russia's Black Sea Fleet practised destroying sea targets with its Bastion System, an advanced mobile Anti-ship and Surface To Surface defence system, the Defence Ministry said in a statement.
Regiments carried out heavy transport of missiles in video footage released by the Defence Ministry. Crews fired from concealing positions and used drones to track a simulational enemy group of ships, it said.