The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation conducting huge military drills with missile launches at the Black Sea region, Russia’s Ministry of Defence announced in an 11 July statement.

In accordance with the plan of combat training, calculations of anti-ship missile systems of the black sea fleet conduct training on strikes on the sea target using mobile coastal missile systems, said in the statement.

Divisions of newest Russian Bastion and Bal coastal missile systems, mobile coastal reconnaissance systems of sea and air conditions, crews of Su-30SM  multirole fighter aircraft of naval aviation and air defence of the Black Sea Fleet are involved in the realization of combat training activities.

Russia conducts massive war games over the Crimean peninsula just days after U.S. and Ukraine have kicked off the Sea Breeze 2018 multinational maritime exercise held in the Black Sea.

According to the U.S. Special Operations Command in Europe, the Sea Breeze is a U.S. and Ukraine co-hosted multinational maritime exercise held in the Black Sea and is designed to enhance interoperability of participating nations and strengthen maritime security within the region.

The Sea Breeze 2018 exercise was initiated on Monday 9 July, involving Ukraine’s Black Sea Fleet and forces from 18 NATO countries, a total of more than 2,000 military personnel, as well as 30 ships and military aircraft.