Today, Tuesday, the Russian Defense Ministry launched extensive maneuvers and operations, which it said were aimed at examining combat readiness in the southern region, which includes Crimea, in light of severe tension with the West over the Ukrainian crisis.

The Director of the Press Office of the Russian Southern Military District, Vadim Astafyev, said in a press statement issued today, Tuesday: "The military units of the Southern Military District were mobilized with a training warning signal with a subsequent exit to the concentration areas. According to the examination plan, a number of military formations and units began to conduct marches in a manner that joint forces to training fields of the joint forces located at a great distance from the permanent stationing points to carry out combat training missions.

The Russian Ministry of Defense stated that more than 6000 soldiers are participating in the combat examination process, and military formations and units will have to train to work in the framework of tactical groups, and it is planned to conduct training firing.