More than 40 ships, including the Russian Black Sea Fleet's flagship, the Moskva cruiser, took part in large-scale maneuvers, which were held in Crimea.

The Black Sea Fleet's press service said that during a large-scale exercise with forces from the Southern Military District at the Opuk training range in Crimea, the troops worked out anti-sabotage defense of a section of the Crimean coast, as well as the fight against naval assault groups and shipborne assault forces.

In total, about 8,000 servicemen were involved in the command and staff exercises with the formations and formations of the Southern Military District, about 350 units of weapons and military equipment from the combined arms armies, air force and air defense formations, formations and units of the combat arms and special forces of district subordination, forces.

In addition, aviation exercises with practical missile launches and bombing were held in Crimea, over 30 aircraft were involved.

In April, the main stage of the exercise of the troops of the Southern Military District and the Airborne Forces of Russia took place in Crimea. In those maneuvers, according to the Ministry of Defense, more than 10,000 servicemen, some 1,200 units of weapons and military equipment, more than 40 warships and 20 ships were involved.

Then the United States and European countries expressed concern about the strengthening of the military grouping in Crimea and the movement of Russian troops near the border with Ukraine.