Media: Russia will put Crimean air defense systems on high combat alert
The Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Defense and Security, Viktor Ozerov, stated that Russia will put the air defense systems of the Crimea on high combat alert during the Ukrainian missile firing exercises, RIA Novosti reported. “All our intelligence and air defense systems will be put on high combat alert in order to avoid any missiles accidentally hitting our territory,” Ozerov said.
According to him, Russia does not consider these firing exercises as a threat because the country is strong enough to protect itself. A spokesman of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, Colonel Dmitry Gutsulyak, previously reported that Ukrainian servicemen would conduct exercises in the Kherson region bordering the annexed Crimea.
According to Gutsulyak, the Defense Ministry plans to conduct flight training and tactical air maneuver exercises, as well as air support for brigade and battalion tactical exercises of other branches of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
On the 13th of January 2017, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry reported that Ukrainian air defense units of the operational-tactical group “South” jointly with combat support units conducted special tactical exercises in the Kherson region. On the 1st of December 2016, Ukrainian servicemen conducted control flight tests of intermediate-range, anti-aircraft guided missiles near Oleksandrivka village in the Kherson region.