The Russian military on Thursday conducted massive drills in Crimea involving dozens of navy ships, hundreds of warplanes and thousands of troops in a show of force amid tensions with Ukraine.
The maneuvers were described as the largest since Russia annexed the Black Sea peninsula from Ukraine in 2014 and threw its weight behind separatist insurgents in eastern Ukraine.
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The Russian military on Thursday conducted massive drills in Crimea involving dozens of navy ships, hundreds of warplanes and thousands of troops in a show of force amid tensions with Ukraine.
The Russian Defense Ministry said the Crimean maneuvers involve more than 60 ships, over 10,000 troops, around 200 aircraft and about 1,200 military vehicles.
Last week, Russia has announced that it would close broad areas of the Black Sea near Crimea to foreign navy ships and state vessels until November, a move that drew Ukrainian protests and raised Western concerns. Russia also announced restrictions on flights near Crimea this week, arguing that they fully conform with the international law.
Amid the tensions, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday signed a law allowing the call-up of reservists for military service without announcing a mobilization. The new law will allow to quickly equip the military with reservists, "significantly increasing their combat effectiveness during military aggression,” Zelenskyy’s office said in a statement.
This image provided by Maxar Technologies shows overview of troop tents in Angarsky training area at the Black Sea coast of Crimea on Thursday, April 15, 2021. Russia has insisted that it has the right to restrict foreign naval ships' movement off Crimea, rejecting Ukrainian complaints and Western criticism. Ukraine last week protested the Russian move to close broad areas of the Black Sea near Crimea to foreign navy ships and state vessels until November. (Satellite image ©2021 Maxar Technologies via AP)
The exercise comes amid increasing violations of a cease-fire in Ukraine's east and a massive Russian troops buildup on the border with Ukraine that raised Western concerns.
This image provided by Maxar Technologies shows 11 SU-34 aircrafts at Morozovsk airbase in Russia, on Saturday, March 27, 2021. Russia has insisted that it has the right to restrict foreign naval ships' movement off Crimea, rejecting Ukrainian complaints and Western criticism. Ukraine last week protested the Russian move to close broad areas of the Black Sea near Crimea to foreign navy ships and state vessels until November. (Satellite image ©2021 Maxar Technologies via AP)
The Russian Defense Ministry said the Crimean maneuvers involve more than 60 ships, over 10,000 troops, around 200 aircraft and about 1,200 military vehicles.
The exercise featured the landing of more than 2,000 paratroopers and 60 military vehicles on Thursday. Fighter jets covered the airborne operation.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu flew in a helicopter over the Opuk firing range in Crimea to oversee the exercise.
This image provided by Maxar Technologies shows overview of deployments at Opuk training area at the Black Sea coast of Crimea on Thursday, April 15, 2021. Russia has insisted that it has the right to restrict foreign naval ships' movement off Crimea, rejecting Ukrainian complaints and Western criticism. Ukraine last week protested the Russian move to close broad areas of the Black Sea near Crimea to foreign navy ships and state vessels until November. (Satellite image ©2021 Maxar Technologies via AP)
Last week, Russia has announced that it would close broad areas of the Black Sea near Crimea to foreign navy ships and state vessels until November, a move that drew Ukrainian protests and raised Western concerns. Russia also announced restrictions on flights near Crimea this week, arguing that they fully conform with the international law.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba warned Tuesday that the Russian buildup across the border is continuing and is “expected to reach a combined force of over 120,000 troops” in about a week and urged the West to beef up sanctions against Moscow.
Moscow has rejected Ukrainian and Western concerns about the buildup, arguing that it’s free to deploy its forces anywhere on the Russian territory and charging that they don’t threaten anyone. But at the same time, the Kremlin sternly warned Ukrainian authorities against trying to use force to retake control of the rebel east, where seven years of fighting have killed more than 14,000, saying that Russia could be forced to intervene to protect civilians in the region.
This image provided by Maxar Technologies shows closer view of airborne units on manuevers in Angarsky training area in Crimea on Thursday, April 15, 2021. Russia has insisted that it has the right to restrict foreign naval ships' movement off Crimea, rejecting Ukrainian complaints and Western criticism. Ukraine last week protested the Russian move to close broad areas of the Black Sea near Crimea to foreign navy ships and state vessels until November. (Satellite image ©2021 Maxar Technologies via AP)
Amid the tensions, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday signed a law allowing the call-up of reservists for military service without announcing a mobilization. The new law will allow to quickly equip the military with reservists, "significantly increasing their combat effectiveness during military aggression,” Zelenskyy’s office said in a statement.
This image provided by Maxar Technologies shows overview of tanks, self propelled artillery and armored vehicles at Opuk training area at the Black Sea coast of Crimea on Thursday, April 15, 2021. Russia has insisted that it has the right to restrict foreign naval ships' movement off Crimea, rejecting Ukrainian complaints and Western criticism. Ukraine last week protested the Russian move to close broad areas of the Black Sea near Crimea to foreign navy ships and state vessels until November. (Satellite image ©2021 Maxar Technologies via AP)
This image provided by Maxar Technologies shows overview of troop tents in Angarsky training area at the Black Sea coast of Crimea on Thursday, April 15, 2021. Russia has insisted that it has the right to restrict foreign naval ships' movement off Crimea, rejecting Ukrainian complaints and Western criticism. Ukraine last week protested the Russian move to close broad areas of the Black Sea near Crimea to foreign navy ships and state vessels until November. (Satellite image ©2021 Maxar Technologies via AP)